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PHYS3710 / PHYS9710 LASERS AND APPLICATIONS
Preamble:
2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the demonstration of the first laser. What was once described as “a solution looking for a problem” is now a key technology in many industrial, commercial and scientific applications. But what exactly is a laser, how does it work, and why has it been so instrumental in advances in so many areas of science and technology? In this course we unlock the mysteries of the laser: from the fundamental physics behind its operation to the light characteristics that make it so useful.
Learning Outcomes:
When you have finished this course, you should be able to:
- explain the basic principles that underpin lasers and
optical amplifiers;
- discuss the fundamentals of semiconductor physics, which are responsible for the optical properties of this group of materials;
- discuss various types of specific lasers, such as the diode laser, the HeNe laser, the Ar laser, the EDFA, the Ti:sapphire laser, and several other lasers types;
- describe a number of important applications of lasers.
Course Notes:
Course notes are to appear here:
listen again to your favourite lecture here through lectopia. Supplementary information for units 5/7 are available here.
Tutorial Problems:
Tutorial problems are distributed during lectures (not online) and will be worked through as part of the Wednesday afternoon lecture.
Assessment PHYS3710/9710:
| |
Date Set: |
Date Due: |
% of Total Mark: |
| Mid Session Test: |
12-1pm Monday 18 April (Week 8) |
- |
35% |
| Assignment 1*: |
12-1pm Monday 21 March (Week 4) |
4 pm Monday 4 April (Week 6) |
10% |
| Assignment 2*: |
12-1 pm Monday 2 May (Week 9) |
4- pm Friday 27 May (Week 12) |
15% |
| Final Exam: |
TBA |
- |
40% |
*Additional assessment components are included for PHYS9710 (solutions).
Recommended Text:
Laser Fundamentals 2nd Edition, William T. Silfvast, ISBN: 978-0-521-54105-3
Course Outline:
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Topics Covered |
| Week 1 |
introduces you to the history of lasers and discusses the blackbody problem.
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| Week 2 |
we shall discuss spontaneous and stimulated
emission, define the “Einstein coefficients”, and talk
about various types of linewidth broadening mechanisms |
| Week 3 |
deals with the gain coefficient in atomic systems. We’ll derive a number of equations, called the rate equations that will allow us to calculate the population differences under various conditions. We shall discuss how to make
an optical amplifier. |
| Week 4 |
discusses what happens if we provide feedback
to an optical amplifier. To understand this topic, we
shall review optical cavities of various types, and talk
about stable and unstable cavities. |
| Week 5 |
reviews the properties of lasers, such as the
effective gain coefficient, threshold gain coefficient,
the photon lifetime, the beam parameters, etc |
| Week 6 |
deals with the factors that determine the spectral
purity of lasers, and review various theoretical and practical
methods to achieve the required monochromaticity. |
| Week 7 |
deals with pulsed lasers. First we review
why some lasers produce pulsed output, followed by various
methods to achieve short and powerful pulses. |
| Week 8 |
deal with semiconductor physics as a prelude
to the diode laser. We shall discuss in some detail the
properties of semiconductor materials and junctions. |
| Week 9 |
gets into the details of various types of diode lasers |
| Week 10 |
READING WEEK |
| Week 11 |
reviews non-linear optical processes and describes how they are used in laser systems. Topics will include second harmonic generation, high harmonic generation, parametric conversion and super continuum generation. |
| Week 12 |
describes a number of lasers, such as the HeNe and the Ar gas lasers, the Ti:sapphire solid state laser, and the erbium doped fibre amplifier. |
| Week 13 |
reviews the most important general areas where
lasers are used today. |
Contact Information:
Dr Peter Reece
School of Physics
University of New South Wales
Kensington NSW 2052
Room LG45
Old Main Building (K15)
Kensington Campus
Ph: (02) 9385 4998
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