A textbook on lasers and optical engineering should include all aspects of lasers and optics; however, this is a large undertaking. The objective of this book is to give an introduction to the subject on a level such that under graduate students (mostly juniors/seniors), from disciplines like electrical engineering, physics, and optical engineering, can use the book. To achieve this goal, a lot of basic background material, central to the subject, has been covered in optics and laser physics. Students with an elementary knowledge of freshman physics and with no formal courses in electromagnetic theory should be able to follow the book, although for some sections, knowledge of electromagnetic theory, the Fourier transform, and linear systems would be highly beneficial. There are excellent books on optics, laser physics, and optical engineering. Actually, most of my knowledge was acquired through these. However, when I started teaching an undergraduate course in 1974, under the same heading as the title of this book, I had to use four books to cover the material I thought an electrical engineer needed for his introduction to the world of lasers and optical engineering. In my sabbatical year, 1980-1981, I started writing class notes for my students, so that they could get through the course by possibly buying only one book. Eventually, these notes grew with the help of my undergraduate and graduate students, and the final result is this book.

In this newest edition of Optics and Lasers, I have added a substantial number of problems and moved most of the older ones to the end of the book. There are now about one hundred problems, which, I hope, will make the book more useful in the classroom. As before, some of the problems derive an espe cially important or useful result; these I have left integrated within the body of the book. In such cases, I state the result and, often, give it an equation number and a citation in the index. Teachers who adopt the book may obtain solutions to the problems by asking me for them on letterhead stationery. In addition, I have rewritten over a dozen paragraphs to improve their clarity or precision and, further , corrected minor errors of punctuation and taken care of other such small details. The field of optics has been changing greatly for almost two dozen years. Partly because of the applied or engineering nature of much of modern optics, there has been a need for a practical text that surveys the entire field. Such a book should not be a classical-optics text, but, rather , it should be strong on principles, applications and instrumentation, on lasers, holography and coherent light, and on optical-fiber waveguides. On the other hand, it should concern itself relatively little with such admittedly interesting phenomena as the formation of the rainbow or the precise determination of the speed of light.

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.

The only introductory text on the market today that explains the underlying physics and engineering applicable to all lasers Although lasers are becoming increasingly important in our high-tech environment, many of the technicians and engineers who install, operate, and maintain them have had little, if any, formal training in the field of electro-optics. This can result in less efficient usage of these important tools. Introduction to Laser Technology, Fourth Edition provides readers with a good understanding of what a laser is and what it can and cannot do. The book explains what types of laser to use for different purposes and how a laser can be modified to improve its performance in a given application. With a unique combination of clarity and technical depth, the book explains the characteristics and important applications of commercial lasers worldwide and discusses light and optics, the fundamental elements of lasers, and laser modification.? In addition to new chapter-end problems, the Fourth Edition includes new and expanded chapter material on: Material and wavelength Diode Laser Arrays Quantum-cascade lasers Fiber lasers Thin-disk and slab lasers Ultrafast fiber lasers Raman lasers Quasi-phase matching Optically pumped semiconductor lasers Introduction to Laser Technology, Fourth Edition is an excellent book for students, technicians, engineers, and other professionals seeking a fuller, more formal introduction to the field of laser technology.

Covering a broad range of topics in modern optical physics and engineering, this textbook is invaluable for undergraduate students studying laser physics, optoelectronics, photonics, applied optics and optical engineering. This new edition has been re-organized, and now covers many new topics such as the optics of stratified media, quantum well lasers and modulators, free electron lasers, diode-pumped solid state and gas lasers, imaging and non-imaging optical systems, squeezed light, periodic poling in nonlinear media, very short pulse lasers and new applications of lasers. The textbook gives a detailed introduction to the basic physics and engineering of lasers, as well as covering the design and operational principles of a wide range of optical systems and electro-optic devices. It features full details of important derivations and results, and provides many practical examples of the design, construction and performance characteristics of different types of lasers and electro-optic devices.

The text is a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to optics suitable for one- or two-term intermediate and upper level undergraduate physics and engineering students. The reorganized table of contents provides instructors the flexibility to tailor the chapters to meet their individual needs.

A complete basic undergraduate course in modern optics for students in physics, technology, and engineering. The first half deals with classical physical optics; the second, quantum nature of light. Solutions.