Preface
Contributors
1 Laser Basics
C. Hirlimann
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Stimulated Emission
1.2.1 Absorption
1.2.2 Spontaneous Emission
1.2.3 Stimulated Emission
1.3 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission
1.4 Population Inversion
1.4.1 TWO-Level System
1.4.2 Optical Pumping
1.4.3 Light Amplification
1.5 Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE)
1.5.1 Amplifier Decoupling
1.6 The Optical Cavity
1.6.1 The Fabry-Pérot Interferometer
1.6.2 Geometric Point of View
1.6.3 Diffractive-Optics Point of View
1.6.4 Stability of a Two-Mirror Cavity
1.6.5 Longitudinal Modes
1.7 Here Comes the Laser!
1.8 Conclusion
1.9 Problems
Further Reading
Historical References
2 Pulesd Optics
3 Methods for the Generation of Ultuashcort Laser Pulses:Mode-Locking
4 Further Methods for the Generation of Ultrashort Optical Pulses
5 Pulsed Semiconductor Lasers
6 How to Manipulate and Change the Characteristics of Laser Pulese
7 How to Measure the Characteristics of Laser Pulses
8 Spectroscopic Methods for Analysis of Sample Dynamics
9 Coherent Effects in Femtosecond Spectroscopy:A Simple Picture Using the Bloch Equation
10 Terahertz Femtosecond Pulese
11 Coherent Control in Atoms,Molecules and Solids
12 Attosecond Pulses
Index