Ever since their invention in 1960, lasers have assumed tremendous importance in the fields of science, engineering and technology because of their use both in basic research and in various technological applications. Lasers: Theory and Applications 2nd Edition will provide a coherent presentation of the basic physics behind the working of the laser along with some of their most important applications. Numerical examples are scattered throughout the book for helping the student gain a better appreciation of the concepts and problems at the end of each chapter and provides the student a better understanding of the basics and help in applying the concepts to practical situations. This book serves as a text in a course on lasers and their applications for students majoring in various disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering.

Silicon sensors integrated with readout circuits on one chip are now being considered for a wide and growing range of applications. Technological compatibility constraints and the need for economic large-scale production are now the major concerns if these devices are to become widely used in industry and medicine. This is the first book to attempt to evaluate the real prospects and limitations of integrated silicon smart sensors. It provides a thorough introduction to and review of, the field, covering both technical and economic issues critical to the future success of this technology.

The development of coherent radiation sources for sub-angstrom wavelengths - i.e. in the hard X-ray and gamma-ray range - is a challenging goal of modern physics. The availability of such sources will have many applications in basic science, technology and medicine and in particular, they may have a revolutionary impact on nuclear and solid state physics, as well as on the life sciences. The present state-of-the-art lasers are capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation from the infrared to the ultraviolet, while free electron lasers (X-FELs) are now entering the soft X-ray region. Moving further, i.e. into the hard X and/or gamma ray band, however, is not possible without new approaches and technologies.

In this book we introduce and discuss one such novel approach -the radiation formed in a Crystalline Undulator -whereby electromagnetic radiation is generated by a bunch of ultra-relativistic particles channeling through a periodically bent crystalline structure. Under certain conditions, such a device can emit intensive spontaneous monochromatic radiation and even reach the coherence of laser light sources.

Readers will be presented with the underlying fundamental physics and be familiarized with the theoretical, experimental and technological advances made during the last one and a half decades in exploring the various features of investigations into crystalline undulators. This research draws upon knowledge from many research fields - such as materials science, beam physics, the physics of radiation, solid state physics and acoustics, to name but a few. Accordingly, much care has been taken by the authors to make the book as self-contained as possible in this respect, so as to also provide a usefulintroduction to this emerging field to a broad readership of researchers and scientist with various backgrounds.

This new edition has been revised and extended to take recent developments in the field into account."

Ultrafast diode lasers offer a variety of applications including high-bit-rate optical fiber communication lines, ultrafast optical data processing, optical computing radar systems, optoelectronic measurement applications and instrumentation. This work introduces this developing field, from basic physical principles to applications. It is intended for scientists working in the fields of optical communications and data processing, ultrafast electronics and laser physics.

The Second Edition of Quantum Information Processing, Quantum Computing, and Quantum Error Correction: An Engineering Approach presents a self-contained introduction to all aspects of the area, teaching the essentials such as state vectors, operators, density operators, measurements, and dynamics of a quantum system. In additional to the fundamental principles of quantum computation, basic quantum gates, basic quantum algorithms, and quantum information processing, this edition has been brought fully up to date, outlining the latest research trends. These include: Key topics include: Quantum error correction codes (QECCs), including stabilizer codes, Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) codes, quantum low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, entanglement-assisted QECCs, topological codes, and surface codes Quantum information theory, and quantum key distribution (QKD) Fault-tolerant information processing and fault-tolerant quantum error correction, together with a chapter on quantum machine learning. Both quantum circuits- and measurement-based quantum computational models are described The next part of the book is spent investigating physical realizations of quantum computers, encoders and decoders; including photonic quantum realization, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and ion traps In-depth analysis of the design and realization of a quantum information processing and quantum error correction circuits This fully up-to-date new edition will be of use to engineers, computer scientists, optical engineers, physicists and mathematicians.

The emergence of highly efficient short-wavelength laser diodes based on the III-V compound semiconductor GaN has not only enabled high-density optical data storage, but is also expected to revolutionize display applications. Moreover, a variety of scientific applications in biophotonics, materials research and quantum optics can benefit from these versatile and cost-efficient laser light sources in the near-UV to green spectral range. This thesis describes the device physics of GaN-based laser diodes, together with recent efforts to achieve longer emission wavelengths and short-pulse emission. Experimental and theoretical approaches are employed to address the individual device properties and optimize the laser diodes toward the requirements of specific applications.

Devices and Related Properties.- The Properties of the Pseudospark Discharge.- Review of Superdense Glow Discharge.- Basic Mechanisms Contributing to the Hollow Cathode Effect.- Cathode-Related Processes in High-Current Density, Low Pressure Glow Discharges.- Comparison of Electrode Effects in High-Pressure and Low-Pressure Gas Discharges Like Spark-Gap and Pseudospark.- Experimental Review.- Mapping and Modeling of the Cathode Fall and Negative Glow Regions.- Emission Spectroscopy in Optically Thick Gas Discharges.- An Analysis of the High Current Glow Discharge Operation of the BLT Switch.- Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Number Densities of Neutral and Ionized Metal Atoms.- Streamers in Atmospheric Pressure N2: Empirical Results.- Theoretical Modeling.- The Solution of the Continuity Equations in Ionization and Plasma Growth.- Scaling Parameters for Optically Triggered Hollow Cathode Switches Obtained by Computer Simulation.- A Physical Model of Prebreakdown in the Hollow Cathode Pseudospark Discharge Based on Numerical Simulations.- Self-Consistent Models of DC and Transient Glow Discharges.- Weak Collisions in Strong Double Layers.- The Effect of Pendel Electrons on Breakdown and Sustainment of a Hollow Cathode Discharge.- A Two-Electron-Group Model for a High Current Pseudospark or Back- Lighted Thyratron Plasma.- Electron Ionization Rate Coefficients at Very High E/N.- New Applications.- Plasma-Based Device Concepts Based on the Pseudospark and BLT.- Emittance Measurement of a Pseudospark-Produced Electron Beam.- New Ways of Electron Emission for Power Switching and Electron Beam Generation.

This book brings together in a single volume the principles, practice and applications of the technology and places it in the context of other recent developments in optical fiber sensor technology. Relevant solid-state physics relating to fluorescent emission is reviewed to aid in materials selection all aspects of sensor design including detector circuit configurations are covered. Cross-referencing of systems with other temperature sensors and comparative evaluations with other sensor types are included.

This book contains most, but regrettably not all, the papers that were presented at The Advanced Research Workshop, held July 1-5, 1997, at Smolenice Castle, Slovak Republic. The problem of angular divergence is of great importance in quantum electronics: low divergence is required not only in most of practical laser applications, but also for achieving high efficiency of parametric laser frequency conversion, and harmonic generation. The large volume of available studies aimed at improving the pump systems and the spectroscopic properties of lasing media, brought about no more than 2-3 fold increases in laser efficiency, while concurrent studies of angular divergence and the implementation of the findings, resulted in several order of magnitude of increases in radiance. The spatial beam structure that is formed in the laser cavity together with the active element constitute the most critical laser elements. The engineering devices, such as excitation systems, lasing gas circulation systems, etc., are usually at the top of the agenda of scientific meetings and of gatherings of engineering experts. The divergence problem has never been discussed by a broad community of experts in this field.

Transparent conducting materials are key elements in a wide variety of current technologies including flat panel displays, photovoltaics, organic, low-e windows and electrochromics. The needs for new and improved materials is pressing, because the existing materials do not have the performance levels to meet the ever- increasing demand, and because some of the current materials used may not be viable in the future. In addition, the field of transparent conductors has gone through dramatic changes in the last 5-7 years with new materials being identified, new applications and new people in the field. "Handbook of Transparent Conductors" presents transparent conductors in a historical perspective, provides current applications as well as insights into the future of the devices. It is a comprehensive reference, and represents the most current resource on the subject.

The thermal processing of materials ranges from few fem to seconds by Swift Heavy Ion Implantation to about one second using advanced Rapid Thermal Annealing. This book offers after an historical excursus selected contributions on fundamental and applied aspects of thermal processing of classical elemental semiconductors and other advanced materials including nanostructures with novel optoelectronic, magnetic, and superconducting properties. Special emphasis is given on the diffusion and segregation of impurity atoms during thermal treatment. A broad range of examples describes the solid phase and/or liquid phase processing of elemental and compound semiconductors, dielectric composites and organic materials.

'Data acquisition' is concerned with taking one or more analogue signals and converting them to digital form with sufficient accu racy and speed to be ready for processing by a computer. The increasing use of computers makes this an expanding field, and it is important that the conversion process is done correctly because information lost at this stage can never be regained, no matter how good the computation. The old saying - garbage in, garbage out - is very relevant to data acquisition, and so every part of the book contains a discussion of errors: where do they come from, how large are they, and what can be done to reduce them? The book aims to treat the data acquisition process in depth with less detailed chapters on the fundamental principles of measure ment, sensors and signal conditioning. There is also a chapter on software packages, which are becoming increasingly popular. This is such a rapidly changing topic that any review of available pro grams is bound to be out of date before the book reaches the read ers. For this reason, I have described the data handling which is available in various types of program and left it to the reader to select from whatever is on the market at the time."

Vertival-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are one of the most promising new developments in laser physics. Covering such a wide range of topics such as operation principles, design considerations and performance measurements, this book is the first of its kind in that it provides readers with a comprehensive account of the latest technological developments in VCSEL devices. In fact, all the chapters are written by pioneers and key experts who have exclusive access to the most up-to-date innovations in the respective fields. Readers will come to appreciate to all the crucial aspects of VCSEL devices. Theories and simulations as well as experiments are discussed in the book.

This book highlights the rapidly developing field of advanced optical methods for structural and functional brain imaging. As is known, the brain is the most poorly understood organ of a living body. It is indeed the most complex structure in the known universe and, thus, mapping of the brain has become one of the most exciting frontlines of contemporary research. Starting from the fundamentals of the brain, neurons and synapses, this book presents a streamlined and focused coverage of the core principles, theoretical and experimental approaches, and state-of-the-art applications of most of the currently used imaging methods in brain research. It presents contributions from international leaders on different photonics-based brain imaging modalities and techniques. Included are comprehensive descriptions of many of the technology driven spectacular advances made over the past few years that have allowed novel insights of the structural and functional details of neurons. The book is targeted at researchers, engineers and scientists who are working in the field of brain imaging, neuroscience and connectomics. Although this book is not intended to serve as a textbook, it will appeal to undergraduate students engaged in the specialization of brain imaging.

Introduction to Integrated Optics: Characterization and Modeling of Optical Waveguides (S. Pelli, G. Righini). Introduction to Nonlinear Guided Waves (M. Bertolotti). Nonlinear Optical Materials (C. Flytzanis). Integrated Optics in Lithium Niobate (D. Delacourt). Propagation of Selftrapped Optical Beams in Nonlinear Kerr Media and Photorefractive Crystals (B. Crosignani). Advances in Semiconductor Integrated Optics (A. Carenco). Silica on Silicon Integrated Optics (R.R. Syms). Integrated Optics on Silicon: IOS Technologies (S. Valette). Are Glasses Suitable for Optoelectronics? (A. Montenero). Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Polymer Waveguides (F. Michelotti). Fabrication and Characterization of Conjugated Polymer Waveguides (S. Sottini). Linearized Optical Modulators for High Performance Analog Links (G. Tangonan et al.). Alloptical Switching in AlGaAs Semiconductor Wavelength Devices (J.A. Aitchison). Integrated Optics Sensors (O. Parriaux). Spatial Optical Solitonsexperiments (Y. Silberberg). Optical Losses of Characterization of Channel Waveguide through Photodeflection Method (R. Li Voti et al.). 7 additional articles. Index.

The thesis presents experimental and theoretical results about the surface dynamics and the surface Dirac fermion (DF) spectral function of the strong topological insulators Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3. The experimental results reveal the presence of a strong Kohn anomaly in the measured surface phonon dispersion of a low-lying optical mode, and the absence of surface Rayleigh acoustic phonons. Fitting the experimental data to theoretical models employing phonon Matsubara functions allowed the extraction of the matrix elements of the coupling Hamiltonian and the modifications to the surface phonon propagator that are encoded in the phonon self-energy. This allowed, for the first time, calculation of phonon mode-specific DF coupling (q) from experimental data, with average coupling significantly higher than typical values for metals, underscoring the strong coupling between optical surface phonons and surface DFs in topological insulators. Finally, to connect to experimental results obtained from photoemission spectroscopies, an electronic (DF) Matsubara function was constructed using the determined electron-phonon matrix elements and the optical phonon dispersion. This allowed calculation of the DF spectral function and density of states, allowing for comparison with photoemission and scanning tunneling spectroscopies. The results set the necessary energy resolution and extraction methodology for calculating from the DF perspective.

In the thirty years since the invention of the CO2 gas laser, the major design issue has shifted from how to obtain the desired power level to how to achieve reliable operation. At the same time, the opening of many laser development facilities in the Former Soviet Union has allowed their achievements and design approaches to be understood and appreciated for the first time. Further, the industrial laser user community has identified a number of emerging applications at higher power levels (15-20 kW) than are attainable by most commercial devices. In High Power Lasers - Science and Engineering, the designers, developers and users of high-power gas laser systems discuss design approaches, methods of enhancing performance, new applications, and user requirements.

This introduction to the next generation of human telecommunications enterprise examines the development of laser satellite communications and describes its advantages over previous technologies. It looks at the development of the technology and the industry through wired and wireless media and presents the vision, promise, and challenges of free-space lasers. The book balances its focused consideration of the telecommunications industry and markets with practical thoughts on creating a business involved in the introduction of commercial laser satellite communications systems. Scholars, investors, venture capitalists, policy makers, and corporate leaders will find this to be a comprehensive and eye-opening bridge between the existing telecommunications industry and the opportunities of the next generation.

The opening chapters introduce the concepts of Migration, Specialization, and Interconnectivity as solutions inherent in third generation laser-satellite communications. The high capacity of the optical spectrum invites migration of applications beyond the narrow RF spectra to the high frequencies of free-space laser beams. Migration stimulates specialization of voice and duplex at the lower, optimal RF spectra. The third generation--laser-wired space--focuses around global satellite interconnectivity between fiber optics and RF. The final chapters introduce a model business concept to pioneer the third generation. Several approaches to capitalization, organization, technology development, and business strategies provide an exciting stimulus for pragmatic approaches to commercial concepts.

This thesis offers a thorough and informative study of high-power, high-energy optical parametric chirped pulse amplifications systems, the foundation of the next generation of femtosecond laser technology. Starting from the basics of the linear processes involved and the essential design considerations, the author clearly and systematically describes the various prerequisites of the nonlinear optical systems expected to drive attosecond physics in the coming decade. In this context, he gives an overview of methods for generating the broadband and carrier-envelope-phase stable seed pulses necessary for producing controlled electric-field waveforms in the final system; provides a guide to handling the high-power, high-energy pump lasers required to boost the pulse energy to the desired operating range; describes the design of the nonlinear optical system used to perform the amplification, including modes of operation for ultra-broadband infrared-visible pulses or narrowband (yet still ultrafast) pulses tunable over multiple octaves; and finally presents a prospective high-energy field synthesizer based upon these techniques. As such, this work is essential reading for all scientists interested in utilizing the newest generation of ultrafast systems.

This timely resource guides novices and experts through the jungle of infrared (IR) technology and applications available today. It explains contempoary technologies with enough detail for engineers or scientists, and with appropriate clarity and conciseness for managers.

This textbook originates from a lecture course in laser physics at the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). A main goal in the conception of this textbook was to describe the fundamentals of lasers in a uniform and especially lab-oriented notation and formulation as well as many currently well-known laser types, becoming more and more important in the future. It closes a gap between the measureable spectroscopic quantities and the whole theoretical description and modeling. This textbook contains not only the fundamentals and the context of laser physics in a mathematical and methodical approach important for university-level studies. It allows simultaneously, owing to its conception and its modern notation, to directly implement and use the learned matter in the practical lab work. It is presented in a format suitable for everybody who wants not only to understand the fundamentals of lasers but also use modern lasers or even develop and make laser setups. This book tries to limit prerequisite knowledge and fundamental understanding to a minimum and is intended for students in physics, chemistry and mathematics after a bachelor degree, with the intention to create as much joy and interest as seen among the participants of the corresponding lectures.

This university textbook describes in its first three chapters the fundamentals of lasers: light-matter interaction, the amplifying laser medium and the laser resonator. In the fourth chapter, pulse generation and related techniques are presented. The fifth chapter gives a closing overview on different laser types gaining importance currently and in the future. It also contains a set of examples on which the theory learned in the first four chapters is applied and extended.

Nonlinear Optics in Signal Processing covers the applications of nonlinear optics to optical processing in a range of areas including switching, computing, and telecommunications.

This thesis provides deep insights into currently controversial questions in laser filamentation, a highly complex phenomenon involving nonlinear optical effects and plasma physics. First, based on the concrete picture of a femtosecond laser beam which self-pinches its radial intensity distribution, the thesis delivers a novel explanation for the remarkable and previously unexplained phenomenon of pulse self-compression in filaments. Moreover, the work addresses the impact of a non-adiabatic change of both nonlinearity and dispersion on such an intense femtosecond pulse transiting from a gaseous dielectric material to a solid one. Finally, and probably most importantly, the author presents a simple and highly practical theoretical approach for quantitatively estimating the influence of higher-order nonlinear optical effects in optics. These results shed new light on recent experimental observations, which are still hotly debated and may completely change our understanding of filamentation, causing a paradigm change concerning the role of higher-order nonlinearities in optics.

There is currently a high level of interest in the field of nonlinear guided wave optics with the availability of nonlinear materials and their use in new areas of application. This is particularly the case for solitons and other types of nonlinear pulses in optical fibers, high capacity dispersion-free communications. Further, soliton-like beams in highly nonlinear materials, such as organic polymers, are being studied with a view to using them for fast-switching purposes in devices where the light creates its own guiding channel. Written by two authors who are at the forefront of this research, Solitons provides a thorough treatment of the applications of switching devices. It presents the results of the most up to date research on the subject in an accessible manner and adopts a unified approach to solitons in fibers and the devices which use them. The book is an essential reference work for both professional engineers working in optoelectronics and telecommunications companies and graduate students and researchers in the area.

An impulse for writing this book has originated from the effort to sum marize and publicise the acquired results of a research team at the De partment of Automation of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and In formatics, Slovak Technical University in Bratislava. The research team has been involved for a long time with control problems for machine production mechanisms and, in recent (approximately 15) years, its effort was aimed mostly at the control of electrical servosystems of robots. Within this scope, the members of the authors' staff solved the State Re search Task Ultrasonic sensing of the position of a robot hand, which was coordinated by the Institute of Technical Cybernetics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. The problem was solved in a complex way, i.e. from a conceptual de sign of the measurement, through the measurement and evaluation sys tem, up to connection to the control system of a robot. Compensation of the atmospheric influence on the precision of measurement, as well as on the electroacoustical transducers, were important parts of the solution. The solution was aimed at using the ultrasonic pulse method which en ables the measurement of absolute 3D position coordinates, contrary to the relative position measurements by the incremental pick-ups which are standard robotic equipment."