Contents Preface .............. Contributors............... ...。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。XV 1 Laser Basics C.Hirlimann.............. 1 1.1 Introduction........ 1 1.2 Stimulated Emission...... 1 1.2.1 Absorption ............................................ 1.2.2 Spontaneous Emission.................................... 3 1.2.3 Stimulated Emission........................... 4 1.3 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission..................... 4 1.4 Population Inversion.......................................... 5 1.4.1Two-Level System..............… 5 1.4.2 Optical Pumping........................................ 6 1.4.3 Light Amplification...................... 1.5 Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE)......................... 10 1.5.1 Amplifier Decoupling..................................... 11 1.6 The Optical Cavity .......................................... 13 1.6.1 The Fabry-Perot Interferometer........................... 13 1.6.2 Geometric Point of View ................................ 14 l.6.3 Diffractive-Optics Point of View........………· 15 1.6.4 Stability of a Two-Mirror Cavity 17 1.6.5 Longitudinal Modes...................................... 20 1.7 Here Comes the Laser!................ 22 1.8 Conclusion ........................ 22 1.9 Problems..........· 22 Further Reading ....... 23 Historial References ...... 23Contents Preface ........................................................ v Contributors ................................................... xv 1 Laser Basics C. Hirlimann .................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................. 1 1.2 Stimulated Emission .......................................... 1 1.2.1 Absorption ............................................. 3 1.2.2 Spontaneous Emission .................................... 3 1.2.3 Stimulated Emission ..................................... 4 1.3 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission ..................... 4 1.4 Population Inversion .......................................... 5 1.4.1 Two-Level System ....................................... 5 1.4.2 Optical Pumping ........................................ 6 1.4.3 Light Amplification ...................................... 8 1.5 Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1.5.1 Amplifier Decoupling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1.6 The Optical Cavity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1.6.1 The Fabry–P´erot Interferometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1.6.2 Geometric Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 1.6.3 Diffractive-Optics Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.6.4 Stability of a Two-Mirror Cavity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 1.6.5 Longitudinal Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1.7 Here Comes the Laser! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.8 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.9 Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Historial References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23