OPTI 370

4/08

OPTI 370.  Lasers and Photonics (3).  Principles of lasers; properties and manipulation of laser light; physical effects and operating principles of photonic components and devices including light modulators, displays, gyroscopes, and optical fibers; elements of photonic telecommunications and biophotonics. P, OPTI 240 & OPTI 310.

Course Objectives:

  • Understand the basic principles of lasers
  • Understand the basic principles photonic devices, including many of the components of optical communications, navigation, and display systems  

 Topics Covered:

 Laser Physics and Laser Light:

  • Energy levels; population inversion; amplifying medium; gain; feedback; cavities and modes; Gaussian beams; lasing threshold; optical pumping
  • Short pulse lasers; mode locking; Q-switching
  • Line width, coherence, polarization
  • Applications of laser light, types of lasers
  • Optical (fiber) amplifiers

 Light Modulators:

  • Polarization, birefringence, optical activity
  • Electro-, magneto-, acousto-optic effect; modulators
  • Nonlinear optics

 Display Devices:

  • Luminescence; light emitting diode LED
  • Liquid crystal display LCD; plasma displays; projectors

 Fiber Optics:

  • Optical waveguides; optical fibers; fiber materials and manufacture; fiber properties
  • Photonic telecommunication systems (wavelength division multiplexing)
  • Photonic navigation systems (fiber/laser gyroscope)

 Elements of Biophotonics:

  • Introduction to the emission, detection, absorption, reflection, modification, and creation of light from biomaterials with applications in life science, medicine, agriculture, and environmental science
  • Optical tweezers; laser micro-scalpels

Class/Laboratory Schedule:

  • Three 50-minute lecture sessions per week, 15 week semester

Textbook(s):

  • S.O. Kasap: “Optoelectronics and Photonics – Principles and Practices” (Prentice-Hall)
  • W.T. Silvast: “Laser Fundamentals” (Cambridge University Press)

Recommended

  • Wilson and Hawkes: Optoelectronics: An Introduction. 3rd ed. 1998 (Prentice-Hall) New York.
  • W.T.Silvast: Laser Fundamentals, 2004 (Cambridge University Press)
  • C.C. Davis: Lasers and Electro-Optics: Fundamentals and Engineering, 1996 (Cambridge University Press)

Grading:

  • First midterm 30%
  • Second midterm 30%
  • Final exam 30%
  • Homework 10%