Understanding Lasers: An Entry-Level Guide

ISBN-13: 9781119310648 / Angielski / Miękka / 2018 / 608 str.

Jeff Hecht

Opis

The expanded fourth edition of the book that offers an essential introduction to laser technology and the newest developments in the field The revised and updated fourth edition of Understanding Lasers offers an essential guide and introduction that explores how lasers work, what they do, and how they are applied in the real world. The author--a Fellow of The Optical Society--reviews the key concepts of physics and optics that are essential for understanding lasers and explains how lasers operate. The book also contains information on the optical accessories used with lasers. Written in non-technical terms, the book gives an overview of the wide-variety laser types and configurations. Understanding Lasers covers fiber, solid-state, excimer, helium-neon, carbon dioxide, free-electron lasers, and more. In addition, the book also explains concepts such as the difference between laser oscillation and amplification, the importance of laser gain, and tunable lasers. The updated fourth edition highlights the most recent research and development in the field. This important resource: Includes a new chapter on fiber lasers and amplifiers Reviews new topics on physics of optical fibers and fiber lasers, disk lasers, and Ytterbium lasers Contains new sections on Laser Geometry and Implications, Diode Laser Structures, Optimal Parametric Sources, and 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Puts the focus on research and emerging developments in areas such as spectroscopy, slow light, laser cooling, and extremely precise measurements Contains appendices, glossary, and index that help make this book a useful reference Written for engineering and physics students, engineers, scientists, and technicians, the fourth edition of Understanding Lasers contains the basic concepts of lasers and the most recent advances in the technology.

Spis treści

Preface xiiiCHAPTER 1 Introduction and Overview 11.1 Lasers, Optics, and Photonics 11.2 Understanding the Laser 31.3 What Is a Laser? 41.4 Laser Materials and Types 81.5 Optical Properties of Laser Light 101.6 How Lasers Are Used? 141.7 What Have We Learned? 17CHAPTER 2 Physical Basics 212.1 Electromagnetic Waves and Photons 212.2 Quantum and Classical Physics 292.3 Interactions of Light and Matter 392.4 Basic Optics and Simple Lenses 472.5 Fiber Optics 512.6 What Have We Learned? 54CHAPTER 3 How Lasers Work 593.1 Building a Laser 593.2 Producing a Population Inversion 603.3 Resonant Cavities 663.4 Laser Beams and Resonance 733.5 Wavelength Selection and Tuning 813.6 Laser Excitation and Efficiency 853.7 What Have We Learned? 89CHAPTER 4 Laser Characteristics 954.1 Coherence 954.2 Laser Wavelengths 984.3 Properties of Laser Beams 1034.4 Laser Power 1084.5 Laser Efficiency 1104.6 Pulse Characteristics 1154.7 Polarization 1204.8 What Have We Learned? 121CHAPTER 5 Optics, Laser Accessories, and Measurements 1275.1 Classical Optical Devices 1275.2 Optical Materials 1365.3 Optical Coatings and Filters 1415.4 Beam Delivery, Direction, and Propagation 1455.5 Mounting and Positioning Equipment 1485.6 Nonlinear Optics 1495.7 Beam Modulation and Output Control 1565.8 Measurements in Optics 1595.9 What Have We Learned? 164CHAPTER 6 Laser Types, Features, and Enhancements 1696.1 Perspectives on Laser Types 1696.2 Laser Media 1716.3 Pumping and Energy Storage 1776.4 Laser Pulse Characteristics 1826.5 Wavelength Conversion 1956.6 Laser Oscillators and Optical Amplifiers 2016.7 Wavelength Options 2076.8 Laser-Like Light Sources 2096.9 What Have We Learned? 211CHAPTER 7 Gas Lasers 2177.1 The Gas-Laser Family 2177.2 Gas-Laser Basics 2187.3 Helium-Neon Lasers 2257.4 Argon- and Krypton-Ion Lasers 2297.5 Metal-Vapor Lasers 2327.6 Carbon Dioxide Lasers 2357.7 Excimer Lasers 2407.8 Nitrogen Lasers 2437.9 Chemical Lasers 2437.10 Other Gas Lasers 2467.11 What Have We Learned? 247CHAPTER 8 Solid-State Lasers 2538.1 What Is a Solid-State Laser? 2538.2 Solid-State Laser Materials 2588.3 Solid-State Laser Configurations 2658.4 Major Solid-State Laser Materials 2718.5 Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers 2848.6 Broadband and Tunable Solid-State Lasers 2888.7 Pulsed Solid-State Lasers 2948.8 What Have We Learned? 295CHAPTER 9 Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers 3019.1 What Are Fiber Lasers? 3019.2 Optical Fiber Structures 3069.3 Fiber Laser Design and Efficiency 3109.4 Rare-Earth-Doped Fiber Lasers 3189.5 Rare-Earth-Doped Fiber Amplifiers 3289.6 Raman Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers 3329.7 What Have We Learned? 335CHAPTER 10 Diode and Other Semiconductor Lasers 34110.1 Types of Semiconductor Lasers 34110.2 Development of Diode Lasers 34210.3 Semiconductor Basics 34410.4 Comparing LED and Diode-Laser Emission 35310.5 Confining Light and Current 35910.6 Edge-Emitting Diode Lasers 37010.7 Surface-Emitting Diode Lasers 37510.8 Optical Properties of Diode Lasers 37910.9 Diode-Laser Materials and Wavelengths 38110.10 Quantum Cascade Lasers and Related Types 39010.11 What Have We Learned? 393CHAPTER 11 Other Lasers and Laser-Like Sources 39911.1 Tunable Dye Lasers 39911.2 Optical Parametric Sources 40411.3 Supercontinuum Sources 40811.4 Frequency Combs 40811.5 Extreme Ultraviolet Sources 41011.6 Free-Electron Lasers 41611.7 What Have We Learned? 420CHAPTER 12 Low-Power Laser Applications 42512.1 Advantages of Laser Light 42612.2 Reading with Lasers 43312.3 Optical Disks and Data Storage 43712.4 Laser Printing 44012.5 Lasers in Fiber-Optic Communications 44212.6 Laser Measurement 44712.7 Laser Light Shows, Pointers, and Projection Displays 45312.8 Low-Power Defense Applications 45612.9 Sensing and Spectroscopy 45912.10 Holography 46412.11 Other Low-Power Applications 46812.12 What Have We Learned? 469CHAPTER 13 High-Power Laser Applications 47513.1 High- Versus Low-Power Laser Applications 47513.2 Attractions of High-Power Lasers 47613.3 Important Considerations and Trends 47713.4 Materials Working 48113.5 Additive Manufacturing and Three-Dimensional Printing 48913.6 Semiconductor Electronics Fabrication 49113.7 Laser Medical Treatment 49313.8 Photochemistry and Isotope Separation 50113.9 Laser-Driven Nuclear Fusion 50313.10 High-Energy Laser Weapons 50513.11 What Have We Learned? 510CHAPTER 14 Lasers in Research 51514.1 Lasers Open New Opportunities 51514.2 Laser Spectroscopy 51614.3 Manipulating Tiny Objects 52114.4 Atom Lasers and Bose-Einstein Condensates 52214.5 Detection of Gravitational Waves 52414.6 Laser Guide Stars for Astronomy 52514.7 Slow Light 52614.8 Nanoscale Lasers 52714.9 Strange Lasers 52914.10 Extreme Power Ultrashort Pulse Lasers 53014.11 X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers 53514.12 Other Emerging Research 53614.13 What Have We Learned? 538Answers to Quiz Questions 543Appendix A: Laser Safety 547Appendix B: Handy Numbers and Formulas 553Appendix C: Resources and Suggested Readings 557Glossary 561Index 575

O autorze

Jeff Hecht, B.S. EE. Caltech, is a contributing editor for Laser Focus World, and a freelance science and technology writer for IEEE Spectrum, New Scientist, and other publications. Mr. Hecht is also a consultant in laser and fiber-optic technology, applications, and markets. He is a life senior member of the IEEE, Fellow of the Optical Society of America, and a member of the National Association of Science Writers.