- Academic Registry
Programme & Unit Catalogues


PH30032: Laser physics

[Page last updated: 21 April 2022]

Academic Year: 2022/3
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
Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Examination (EX 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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 )
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.

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.

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.

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)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2022/23 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2023/24 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2022/23.
  • 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.