• Presents a unified and integrated perspective on tunable lasers
• Includes sources spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from the UV to the FIR
• Contains 182 figures and 68 tables
• Provides coverage...

This book covers the device physics of semiconductor lasers in five chapters written by recognized experts in this field. The volume begins by introducing the basic mechanisms of optical gain in semiconductors and the role of quantum confinement in modern quantum well diode lasers. Subsequent chapters treat the effects of built-in strain, one of the important recent advances in the technology of these lasers, and the physical mechanisms underlying the dynamics and high speed modulation of these devices. The book concludes with chapters addressing the control of photon states in...

Random lasers are the simplest sources of stimulated emission without cavity, with the feedback provided by scattering in a gain medium. First proposed in the late 1960s, random lasers have grown to a large research field. This book reviews the history and the state of the art of random lasers, provides an outline of the basic models describing their behavior, and describes the recent advances in the field. The major focus of the book is on solid-state random lasers. However, it also briefly describes random lasers based on liquid dyes with scatterers. The chapters of the book are almost...

Laser ablation describes the interaction of intense optical fields with matter, in which atoms are selectively driven off by thermal or nonthermal mechanisms. The field of laser ablation physics is advancing so rapidly that its principal results are seen only in specialized journals and conferences. This will be the first book that combines the most recent results in this rapidly advancing field with authoritative treatment of laser ablation and its applications, including the physics of high-power laser-matter interaction. Many practical applications exist, ranging from inertial...

This book explores the role of surface effects in optical phenomena in nanoscience, from two different perspectives. When systems are reduced in volume, the ratio of surface versus volume increases. At the level of single nanostructures this translates into an enhanced role of interfacial chemistry and thermodynamics. At the level of systems of nanostructures, it translates into larger density on interfaces, which in turn leads to such intriguing collective effects as plasmonics or multiple reflection and refraction phenomena. The book highlights both perspectives presenting sample...

This book covers the fundamental principles and physical phenomena behind laser-based fabrication and machining processes. It also gives an overview of their existing and potential applications. With laser machining an emerging area in various applications ranging from bulk machining in metal forming to micromachining and microstructuring, this book provides a link between advanced materials and advanced manufacturing techniques. The interdisciplinary approach of this text will help prepare students and researchers for the next generation of manufacturing.