Fundamentals of Laser Physics

Contents
Preface
1. Classical Theory of Emission and Absorption
	1.1 Emission Cross-Section
	1.2 Absorption Cross-Section
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
	Appendices
		A1.1 Classical Picture of Atoms
		A1.2 Classical Picture of Radiative Damping
2. Einstein’s Theory of Matter–Field Interaction
	2.1 Einstein’s Theory of Blackbody Radiation
	2.2 Einstein’s “A” in Quantum Electrodynamics
	2.3 Laser Rate Equation
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
3. Semiclassical Theory of Atom–Field Interaction
	3.1 Electric Dipole Interaction
	3.2 Equation of Motion for State Coefficients
	3.3 Density Matrix
	3.4 Inclusion of Decay
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
4. Spectral Line Broadening
	4.1 Power Broadening
	4.2 Collisional Broadening
	4.3 Doppler Broadening
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
	Appendix
		A4.1 Semiclassical Derivation of Fluorescence and Absorption Cross-Sections
5. Lamb-Dip Spectroscopy
	5.1 Spectral Hole Burning
	5.2 Lamb Dip
	5.3 Cross over Resonances
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
6. Optical Bloch Equation
	6.1 Derivation of Optical Bloch Equation
	6.2 Evolution of the Bloch Vector
	6.3 Adiabatic Following
	6.4 Adiabatic Inversion Using a Gaussian Beam
	6.5 Free Induction Decay and Optical Nutation
	Exercises
7. More Applications of Bloch Equation
	7.1 Photon Echo
	7.2 Ramsey Fringe and Atomic Clock
	Exercises
8. Rate Equation Approximation
	8.1 From the Density Matrix
	8.2 From Einstein’s Rate Equation
	8.3 Limitation of the Rate Equation
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
9. Coherent Pulse Propagation
	9.1 Maxwell–Schödinger Equation
	9.2 Slowly-Varying-Envelope Approximation
	9.3 Rabi Oscillation
	9.4 Free Induction Decay Revisited
	9.5 Area Theorem
	Exercises
	Bibliography
10. Quantum Theory of Laser
	10.1 Quantum Equation of Motion
	10.2 Laser Photon Statistics
	10.3 Laser Linewidth
	10.4 General form of Laser Threshold Condition
	Frequently Asked Questions
	Exercises
	Bibliography
11. Strong-Coupling Regime of Cavity QED
	11.1 Jaynes–Cummings Model
	11.2 Semiclassical Picture of the Normal Mode Splitting
	11.3 Observation of Normal Mode Splitting in Cavity QED
	11.4 Single-Atom Maser, Single-Atom Lasers
		11.4.1 Single-trapped-atom Laser
	11.5 Superradiance
	11.6 Superabsorption
	Exercises
12. Survey of Various Lasers
	12.1 The Beginning: The Ammonia MASER
	12.2 The First “Optical” MASER: Ruby LASER
	12.3 The First CW (Gas) Laser: He-Ne Laser
	12.4 CO2 Laser
	12.5 Noble Gas Lasers: Ar-Ion Laser
	12.6 Nd: YAG, Nd: Glass Lasers
	12.7 Ti-Sapphire Laser
	12.8 Dye Laser
	12.9 Chemical Lasers: Excimer Laser
	12.10 Semiconductor Lasers: LED’s and Laser Diodes
	12.11 Free-Electron Laser
	12.12 X-Ray Laser, Gamma-Ray Laser
	12.13 Fiber Laser
	Exercises
13. Pulsed Lasers and Frequency Combs
	13.1 Q-Switching
	13.2 Mode Locking
	13.3 Frequency Combs
	13.4 Direct Optical Frequency Synthesis
	Exercises
14. Other Laser-Related Topics
	14.1 Frequency Pulling
	14.2 Effects of a Strong Driving Field
		14.2.1 Dressed State
		14.2.2 Mollow Triplet
		14.2.3 Autler–Townes Effect
		14.2.4 AC Stark Shift, Light Shift and Dipole Trap
	14.3 Effects of Vacuum Fluctuations
		14.3.1 Spontaneous Emission
		14.3.2 Casimir Force
	14.4 Multi-level Effects
		14.4.1 Optical Pumping
		14.4.2 Quantum Jumps and Shelving
		14.4.3 Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage
		14.4.4 Electromagnetically Induced Transparency
	Exercises
	Bibliography
15. Single-Photon Sources and Novel Lasers
	15.1 Single-Photon Sources
		15.1.1 Photon Anti-bunching
		15.1.2 Entangled Photon Pairs
		15.1.3 Triggered Single Photons (Single Photons on Demand)
	15.2 Novel Lasers
		15.2.1 Whispering-gallery Microlaser
		15.2.2 Quantum Cascade Laser
		15.2.3 Random Laser
		15.2.4 Spaser
		15.2.5 Photonic Crystal Lasers and Waveguides
	Exercises
	Bibliography
16. Non-Hermitian Laser
	16.1 Chaotic Lasers
		16.1.1 Chaotic Behavior of Lasers due to Strong Optical Feedback
		16.1.2 Directional Output due to Ray Chaos in Microcavity Lasers
	16.2 PT-Symmetric Lasers
		16.2.1 PT-symmetric Microcavity Lasers
	16.3 Petermann Factor in Lasers
	Exercises
	Bibliography
17. Exceptional-Point Lasers
	17.1 Exceptional Point in Lasers
		17.1.1 Lasing Near an EP
	17.2 Petermann Factor Near an Exceptional Point
		17.2.1 Laser Linewidth Broadening Near an EP
		17.2.2 Sensing Enhancement Near an EP
		17.2.3 Enhanced Lasing Power Near an EP
	Exercises
	Bibliography
Solutions to Selected Problems
Index