Aim
The aim of the course is to teach the physical principles of lasers as well as to give an orientation of the different laser types and laser techniques.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• know how a laser works.

• understand important concepts such as stimulated absorption and emission, homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening, diffraction, electromagnetic propagation in a cavity, dispersion, amplification, mode-locking.

• be able to orient himself /herself among the different lasers for a given application.

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to perform alignments and measurements with lasers.

• be able to calculate conditions for lasing and amplification as well as propagation of a laser beam through optical components.

• be able to solve problems in Optics and Lasers.

• be able to search, acquire and assess knowledge from a references within the field.

• have an increased competence for presenting in writing an accomplished project.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

Contents

• Gaussian beams, propagation through optical components.

• Resonator optics

• Photons and atoms

• Amplifiers

• Lasers

• Statistical Optics, coherence

Literature
Fundamental of Photonics
B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich
Wiley Series in Pure and Applied Optics, John Wiley & sons, inc., Second edition.
Chapters 3,12-15,11