Introduction to Lasers

4.0 credits

This course will introduce the fundamental knowledge of laser systems. It is designed for the science and the engineering undergraduate students who are without advanced theoretical and experimental optical backgrounds. The course will cover the basic laser principles, laser design and operation, laser safety, and applications in different industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, etc. Students will be introduced to spontaneous and stimulated emission, population inversion, optical resonator and cavity design, Gaussian beams, laser output characteristics, pulsed lasers (Q switching, and mode-locking). Different types of lasers (gas, liquid, solid, and fiber) will be briefly discussed. The class format is weekly lecture and lab demonstration (weight about 55-45).