Laser and its applications

412 Phys

By

Dr. Mohammed Fadhali

Number of Study Hours

Prerequisites Level

Year

Course Code
Credit

312 PHYS

Lab.

Course Title

Theor.

412Phys

Laser and its

applications

Brief description
This course is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of laser
oscillation, its properties and applications. It describes the interaction of
photon with matter and covers the essential laser requirements, laser gain
media, laser oscillations inside various resonators, and their stability
conditions. It also discusses the laser beam characteristics, transformation,
and mode structure. It enables students to explore some of the laser types
and the related aspects of various technological applications that employ
lasers and beam optics.

Course Objectives
This course is designed to provide students with:
1. The fundamental concepts and principles of light matter interactions
2. The essential concepts of laser oscillations, its operational requirements
and laser beam properties
3. The formulations of laser rate equations in various systems, laser
threshold conditions and some of the laser types and their characteristics.
4. The adequate analysis of the continuous-wave and pulsed laser operation
using appropriate formalisms.
5. The criteria of assessment of optical resonator stability and mode
structure
6. The basics of some laser applications

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Course Objectives
This course is designed to:
1. Provide students with the fundamental concepts and principles of light
matter interactions
2. Develop the essential concepts of laser oscillations, its operational
requirements and laser beam properties
3. Acquaint students with the skills of formulations of laser rate equations in
various systems, laser threshold conditions and some of the laser types
and their characteristics.
4. Develop the students abilities with adequate analysis of the continuouswave and pulsed laser operation using appropriate formalisms.
5. Enable the students to assess the optical resonator stability and mode
structure based on certain criteria
6. Provide the students with the basics of some laser applications

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Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Define the main requirements of laser operation and laser gain threshold
Describe various processes in laser matter interaction, various laser types and their applications
Derive the Einstein relations, laser gain and other laser parameters from the laser rate equations
Explain the characteristics of the laser light beam and the differences between pulsed and CW
lasers
Discuss the stability of optical resonator and the output mode structure
Solve problems related to laser matter interaction, laser gin threshold, laser oscillations, stability of
the laser cavity and laser beam characteristics
Discuss various of laser applications in various fields
Use internet resource to prepare a related study case or obtain more explanation of laser systems
and their applications.

Please write your views

These ILOs are the modified ones

It seems to be Ok

Course Contents
Basic physics of lasers
Rate equations for spontaneous and stimulated transitions and Einstein
coefficients
Population inversion and laser gain
Amplification and saturation
Various Laser level systems and pumping mechanisms
Optical Resonators and laser modes
Laser Beam characteristics
Laser Types (gas solid liquid semiconductor- FEL
Ultrashort laser pulses: Q-switching & mode locking
Various laser applications

Does the course contents fits well the ILOs ?

Please write your views

Yes!

Assessment
1
3
5
9

Homework assignment and quizzes

First Mid-term exam
Second Mid-term exam
Final Exam

10
20
20
50

Please write your views

Distribution of assessment sometimes adjusted according to the response
of the students to some activities

Textbook and Reference Books

Required Textbooks
Introduction to Laser Spectroscopy; Halina Abramczyk, Elsavier, 2005.

In the web

- Introduction to Lasers and Their Applications, Donald C. OShea, W. Russel Callen and William
T. Rhodes, Addison- Wesley publishing Company, Inc. London, 1977.

References
Lasers; A. E. Siegman, Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group, 1986.
Principles of lasers; O. Svelto, D. C. Hanna, Springer, 1998.

Please write your views

I suggest to use the book by O. Svelto as a text
Or
Lasers and Electro-optics:Fundamentals and Engineering, 2nd Ed. March 2014
By: Christopher C. Davis

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Weaknesses and Suggestions

The time allowed to cover the necessary fundamentals of lasers and
their related theories as well as application seems not sufficient to give
a full picture especially in applications
Wave optics transformation requires that student have some prior
knowledge in ABCD ray tracing but that is not covered in previous
courses

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