LIST OF TOPICS Preface xiii Units and Notation xV List of Symbols xvii BASIC LASER PHYSICS Chapter 1 An Introduction to Lasers 1.1 What Is a Laser? 1.2 Atomic Energy Levels and Spontaneous Emission 6 1.3 Stimulated Atomic Transitions 18 1.4 Laser Amplification 1.5 Laser Pumping and Population Inversion 1.6 Laser Oscillation and Laser Cavity Modes 059 1.7 Laser Output-Beam Properties 1.8 A Few Practical Examples 6 1.9 Other Properties of Real Lasers 1.10 Historical Background of the Laser 74 1.11 Additional Problems for Chapter 1 76 Chapter 2 Stimulated Transitions:The Classical Oscillator Model 2.1 The Classical Electron Oscillator 80 2.2 Collisions and Dephasing Processes 89 2.3 More on Atomic Dynamics and Dephasing 97 2.4 Steady-State Response:The Atomic Susceptibility 102 2.5 Conversion to Real Atomic Transitions 110 Chapter 3 Electric Dipole Transitions in Real Atoms 3.1 Decay Rates and Transition Strengths in Real Atoms 118 3.2 Line Broadening Mechanisms in Real Atoms 126 3.3 Polarization Properties of Atomic Transitions 135 3.4 Tensor Susceptibilities 143 3.5 The“Factor of Three" 150 3.6 Degenerate Energy Levels and Degeneracy Factors 153 3.7 Inhomogeneous Line Broadening 157 Chapter 4 Atomic Rate Equations vi 4.1 Power Transfer From Signals to Atoms 176