Introduction to Laser Science and Engineering provides a modern resource for a first course in lasers for both students and professionals. Starting from simple descriptions, this text builds upon them to give a detailed modern physical understanding of the concepts behind light, optical beams and lasers. The coverage starts with the nature of light and the principles of photon absorption and transmission, leading to the amplified and stimulated emission principals governing lasers. The specifics of lasers and their application, safe use and future prospects are then covered, with a wealth of illustrations to provide readers with a visual sense of optical and laser principles.

Introduction to Quantum Electronics is based on a one-semester lecture of electrical engineering for German students. The book is an introduction to the fundamentals of lasers and masers and a presentation of the principles of physics, their theory, and methods of analysis that seek to analyze, explain, and quantify related important phenomena. The properties of a laser is then discussed, the author comparing it to the properties of the maser. Although masers are based on the same physical properties as that of the lasers, masers amplify microwaves by induced emission. How the laser is amplified, its power and frequency of oscillation, and which media are suitable for lasers are analyzed. Descriptions of the laser take more emphasis as it is considered to have more technical applications than the maser. An example given is the operation of the gas laser, because it exhibits coherence in time and space, considered as the most important quality of laser beams. Physicists, students, and academicians in the field of electrical engineering and quantum electronics will find that this book addresses many of their interests.

This is both a textbook and general reference on the subject of laser theory and basic laser principles. The book gives a detailed accurate treatment of laser physics which does not require a background in quantum mechanics.

In How the Laser Happened, Nobel laureate Charles Townes provides a highly personal look at some of the leading events in twentieth-century physics. Townes was inventor of the maser, of which the laser is one example; an originator of spectroscopy using microwaves; and a pioneer in the study of gas clouds in galaxies and around stars. Throughout his career he has also been deeply engaged with issues outside of academic research. He worked on applied research projects for Bell Labs; served on the board of directors for General Motors; and devoted extensive effort to advising the government on science, policy, and defense. This memoir traces his multifaceted career from its beginnings on the family farm in South Carolina. Spanning decades of ground-breaking research, the book provides a hands-on description of how working scientists and inventors get their ideas. It also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific community, showing how scientists respond to new ideas and how they approach a variety of issues, from priority and patents to the social and political implications of their work. In addition, Townes touches on the sociology of science, uncovering some of the traditions and values that are invisible to an outsider. A towering and energetic figure, Townes has explored or pioneered most of the roles available to the modern scientist. In addition to fundamental research, he was actively involved in the practical uses of the laser and in the court cases to defend the patent rights. He was a founding member of the Jasons, an influential group of scientists that independently advises the government on defense policy, and he played an active part in scientific decisions and policies from the Truman through the Reagan administration. This lively memoir, packed with first-hand accounts and historical anecdotes, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of science and an inspiring example for students considering scientific careers.

Since the invention of the first working laser in 1960, development of these devices has progressed at an unprecedented rate, to the extent that the laser is now a common part of everyday life, from the semiconductor laser used in CD players and telecommunication systems to the high power eximer lasers used in manufacturing processes. This book tra