Optics & photonics (Europhotonics)

This course is a lecture about light and lasers, providing comprehensive description of the physics underlying the operation of lasers.

After introducing the main physical processes responsible for light emission, this lecture develops a comprehensive treatment for the fundamental concepts of lasers physics and the basic operation principles. Spatial, temporal and coherence properties of laser light are also explored. Detailed example and tutorials are included.

1. Light emission
Historical context, thermal and blackbody emission, electromagnetism and quantum description
2. Photon-atom interaction.
Spontaneous and stimulated transitions, Einstein coefficients, levels populations, rate equations.
3. Light amplification
Conditions for amplification, pumping and population inversion, 2-level, 3-level and 4-level systems, gain and saturation.
4. The laser oscillator
Conditions for laser starting, resonant oscillation, steady-state regime, output intensity.
5. Laser cavities and laser beams
Longitudinal modes, cavity stability, transverses modes and Gaussian beams.
6. Pulsed regimes
Spiking, Q-switch, Modelock
7. Coherence properties of laser light

Acquired competences

Students will develop proficiency in various mathematical techniques essential for optics and photonics applications, such as:
- Analyzing intensity patterns resulting from interference phenomena.
- Conducting basic electromagnetic analyses.
- Computing states of polarization arising from polarizing elements.
- Understanding mathematical underpinnings of Maxwell's equations.
- Grasping the significance of Fourier analysis, particularly its impact on domain transformations.
- Solving fundamental problems related to geometric optics.