PH30032: Laser physics
[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]
| Academic Year: | 2021/2 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 120 |
| Level: | Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
- Semester 2
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| Assessment Summary: | EX 100% |
| Assessment Detail: | |
| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
Before taking this module you must ( take PH20013 OR take PH20060 ) AND ( take PH20014 OR take PH20061 ) AND ( take PH20020 OR take MA20223 OR take PH20107 )
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| Description: | Aims:
The aims of this unit are to provide the theoretical background for what is required for laser action and then to show how this is achieved in real lasers.
Learning Outcomes:
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
* understand how light interacts with atoms in excited states, and how this can lead to stimulated emission and lasing.
* theoretically design simple laser resonators.
* analyse continuous and pulsed lasers and discuss how laser pulses are formed.
* compare the properties of different materials for use in practical lasers.
Skills:
Numeracy T/F A, Problem Solving T/F A.
Content:
Interaction of light with matter (2 hours): Introduction, absorption, spontaneous and stimulated emission; lineshape and broadening mechanisms, gain and population inversion.
Conditions for oscillation (2 hours): Gain in 3 and 4 level systems, gain saturation, introduction to laser cavities, lasing threshold, output power in lasers above threshold, gain clamping, laser efficiency.
Optical beams and resonators (5 hours): Ray vectors and matrices, spherical waves, Gaussian beams. Rayleigh length, beam waist, phase front curvature. Resonators with parallel or curved mirrors; stability criterion. Optical modes in resonators, cavity Q factor and lifetime.
Types of gain medium (6 hours): Examples of specific lasers and pumping mechanisms: gas, dye, solid state, semiconductor and fibre lasers.
Pulsed lasers (5 hours): Q-switching. Modelocking; time-bandwidth product for pulses. Examples of pulsed lasers. Dispersion; Pulse spreading caused by group velocity dispersion, frequency chirp.
Frequency conversion (2 hours): second-harmonic generation, phase-matching.
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| Programme availability: |
PH30032 is Optional on the following programmes:
Department of Physics
- USXX-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
- USXX-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USXX-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM02 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AFM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Research placement (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM12 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
- USPH-AFM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Research placement (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM14 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM15 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM13 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
- USXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
- USXX-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USXX-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
Programmes in Natural Sciences
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) (Year 3)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
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Notes: - This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
- Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
- Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
- Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.
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