It is expected that ongoing advances in optics will revolutionise the 21st century as they began doing in the last quarter of the 20th. Such fields as communications, materials science, computing and medicine are leaping forward based on developments in optics. This series presents leading edge research on optics and lasers from researchers spanning the globe.

It is expected that ongoing advances in optics will revolutionise the 21st century as they began doing in the last quarter of the 20th. Such fields as communications, materials science, computing and medicine are leaping forward based on developments in optics. The scope includes UV, VUV and X-Ray lasers; visible, solid-state, semiconductor and infrared gas lasers; FEL and ultrashort laser pulses; visible and infrared optical materials; infrared and imaging detectors; optical fibers and fiber optic sensors; holography; laser spectroscopy and photochemistry; high resolution lithography for optoelectronics and more. This book presents leading new research in the field.

Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena serves as an introduction to the phenomena of ultrashort laser pulses and describes how this technology can be applied in areas such as spectroscopy, medical imaging, electromagnetism, optics, and quantum physics. Combining the principles with experimental techniques, the book serves as a guide to designing and constructing femtosecond systems.
The second edition has updated and expanded its content, and includes more examples of ultrashort sources and a more comprehensive fundamentals chapter. Diagnostic techniques and applications involving sensors, mode-locked lasers, and imaging have been fully revised to include current technologies.
Written in a tutorial style, this book is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as engineers and scientists working in the areas of optics, spectroscopy, optical imaging, photochemistry, and ultrafast science and engineering.
*Provides an easy to follow guide through "faster than electronics" probing and detection methods
*THE manual on designing and constructing femtosecond systems and experiments
*Discusses essential technology for applications in micro-machining, femtochemistry, and medical imaging

This new book gathers leading research from throughout the world.

In 1954, Charles Townes invented the laser's microwave cousin, the maser. The next logical step was to extend the same physical principles to the shorter wavelengths of light, but the idea did not catch fire until October 1957, when Townes asked Gordon Gould about Gould's research on using light to excite thallium atoms. Each took the idea and ran with it. The independent-minded Gould sought the fortune of an independent inventor; the professorial Townes sought the fame of scientific recognition. Townes enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, Arthur Schawlow, and got Bell Labs into the race. Gould turned his ideas into a patent application and a million-dollar defense contract. They soon had company. Ali Javan, one of Townes's former students, began pulling 90-hour weeks at Bell Labs with colleague Bill Bennett. And far away in California a bright young physicist named Ted Maiman became a very dark horse in the race. While Schawlow proclaimed that ruby could never make a laser, Maiman slowly convinced himself it would. As others struggled with recalcitrant equipment and military secrecy, Maiman built a tiny and elegant device that fit in the palm of his hand. His ruby laser worked the first time he tried it, on May 16, 1960, but afterwards he had to battle for acceptance as the man who made the first laser. Beam is a fascinating tale of a remarkable and powerful invention that has become a symbol of modern technology.

This book on the Laser Crystallization of Silicon reviews the latest experimental and theoretical studies in the field. It has been written by recognised global authorities and covers the most recent phenomena related to the laser crystallization process and the properties of the resulting polycrystalline silicon.
Reflecting the truly interdisciplinary nature of the field that the series covers, this volume will continue to be of great interest to physicists, chemists, materials scientists and device engineers in modern industry.
Valuable applications for industry, particularly in the fabrication of thin-film electronics
Each chapter has been peer reviewed
An important and timely contribution to the semiconductor literature

Shoebox Holography was developed with the aid of high school students. It describes in detail how to make a hologram using a simple inexpensive laser pointer. The book is intended as a science project for beginners. More serious students can buy the Holography Handbook which describes how to create a home studio for making holograms. Shoebox Holography has been used by numerous high schools as well as amateurs who are just getting started making holograms.

Distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers emit light in a single mode which is essential to providing the carrier in long haul high bit-rate optical communication systems. This comprehensive research monograph provides: thorough analysis of the operation and design of DFB lasers a high level of tutorial discussion with many valuable appendices the first full account of time-domain numerical modelling techniques applicable to future optical systems as well as present devices Web access to a suite of MATLAB programs (student version MATLAB 4 or higher). It is essential reading for those studying optical communications at graduate and advanced under-graduate level, and a key book for industrial designers of opto-electronic devices.

Lasers are becoming increasingly important in surface science, both for the diagnostic evaluation and the processing of surfaces, for example, higher harmonic generation for diagnosis and the widespread use of laser surface microstructuring and annealing for processing. The physics behind such applications might be described in some cases by simple heating and melting processes, but can also include much more complex phenomena such as plasma generation or elementary collective surface excitations. Laser Applications in Surface Science and Technology provides an overview of the different techniques, discusses the principles behind them and gives a concise description of laser-induced and laser-detected processes on surfaces. Recent developments in the field such as nonlinear surface spectroscopies and the interactions of ultrashort pulses with materials, are also introduced. Invaluable reading for postgraduate students and research scientists across a wide range of disciplines including: physics, chemistry, electronic engineering and materials science.

This book covers the device physics of semiconductor lasers in five chapters written by recognized experts in this field. The volume begins by introducing the basic mechanisms of optical gain in semiconductors and the role of quantum confinement in modern quantum well diode lasers. Subsequent chapters treat the effects of built-in strain, one of the important recent advances in the technology of these lasers, and the physical mechanisms underlying the dynamics and high speed modulation of these devices. The book concludes with chapters addressing the control of photon states in squeezed-light and microcavity structures, and electron states in low dimensional quantum wire and quantum dot lasers.
The book offers useful information for both readers unfamiliar with semiconductor lasers, through the introductory parts of each chapter, as well as a state-of-the-art discussion of some of the most advanced semiconductor laser structures, intended for readers engaged in research in this field. This book may also serve as an introduction for the companion volume, Semiconductor Lasers II: Materials and Structures, which presents further details on the different material systems and laser structures used for achieving specific diode laser performance features.

* Introduces the reader to the basics of semiconductor lasers
* Covers the fundamentals of lasing in semiconductors, including quantum confined and microcavity structures
* Beneficial to readers interested in the more general aspects of semiconductor physics and optoelectronic devices, such as quantum confined heterostructures and integrated optics
* Each chapter contains a thorough introduction to the topic geared toward the non-expert, followed by an in-depth discussion of current technology and future trends
* Useful for professionals engaged in research and development
* Contains numerous schematic and data-containing illustrations

The Holography Handbook has received recommended reviews from Scientific American, Booklist (American Library Association), Library Journal, New Scientist and Home Electronics & Entertainment. Although out of print for a while, this book is now back in print and available. This book is the defining source on how a hobbyist can make excellent quality holograms on a limited budget. The book also contains sections on advanced techniques and holography as a art form.

Laser Cathode-Ray Tubes

Many laser applications depend on the ability of a particular laser to be frequency tunable. Among the many different types of frequency tunable lasers are: dye lasers, excimer lasers, and semiconductor lasers. Thisbook gives active researchers and engineers the practical information they need to choose an appropriate tunable laser for their particular applications.
Key Features
* Presents a unified and integrated perspective on tunable lasers
* Includes sources spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from the UV to the FIR
* Contains 182 figures and 68 tables
* Provides coverage of optical parametric oscillators and tunable gas, liquid, solid state, and semiconductor lasers

This work presents the intriguing story of laser technology development through interviews with the scientists who made history with their groundbreaking research. Laser Pioneers, Revised Edition, describes a race for innovative laser technologies that resulted in several Nobel Prizes and one of the most bitter patent fights of the twentieth century. This book makes fascinating reading for anyone involved with physics, engineering, optics, lasers, or the history of science--or anyone simply interested in the process of invention.
Key Features
* Contains interviews with 15 key scientists in laser research and development
* Provides an extensive overview of laser history
* Includes interviews with three Nobel Prize winners

This book is for those who have some knowledge of optics, but little or no previous experience in interferometry. Accordingly, the carefully designed presentation helps readers easily find and assimilate the interferometric techniques they need for precision measurements. Mathematics is held to a minimum, and the topics covered are also summarized in capsule overviews at the beginning and end of each chapter. Each chapter also contains a set of worked problems that give a feel for numbers.
The first five chapters present a clear tutorial review of fundamentals. Chapters six and seven discuss the types of lasers and photodetectors used in interferometry. The next eight chapters describe key applications of interferometry: measurements of length, optical testing, studies of refractive index fields, interference microscopy, holographic and speckle interferometry, interferometric sensors, interference spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform spectroscopy. The final chapter offers suggestions on choosing and setting up an interferometer.

This book reviews the solid core of fundamental scientific knowledge on laser-stimulated surface chemistry that has accumulated over the past few years. It provides a useful overview for the student and interested non-expert as well as essential reference data (photodissociation cross sections, thermochemical constants, etc.) for the active researcher.

Nonlinear Optics Of Semiconductor Lasers.

The only introductory text on the market today that explains the underlying physics and engineering applicable to all lasers

Although lasers are becoming increasingly important in our high-tech environment, many of the technicians and engineers who install, operate, and maintain them have had little, if any, formal training in the field of electro-optics. This can result in less efficient usage of these important tools.

"Introduction to Laser Technology," Fourth Edition provides readers with a good understanding of what a laser is and what it can and cannot do. The book explains what types of laser to use for different purposes and how a laser can be modified to improve its performance in a given application. With a unique combination of clarity and technical depth, the book explains the characteristics and important applications of commercial lasers worldwide and discusses light and optics, the fundamental elements of lasers, and laser modification.?

In addition to new chapter-end problems, the "Fourth Edition" includes new and expanded chapter material on:

Material and wavelength

Diode Laser Arrays

Quantum-cascade lasers

Fiber lasers

Thin-disk and slab lasers

Ultrafast fiber lasers

Raman lasers

Quasi-phase matching

Optically pumped semiconductor lasers

"Introduction to Laser Technology," Fourth Edition is an excellent book for students, technicians, engineers, and other professionals seeking a fuller, more formal introduction to the field of laser technology.

An invaluable text for the teaching, design, and development of gas sensor technology. This excellent resource synthesizes the fundamental principles of spectroscopy, laser physics, and photonics technology and engineering to enable the reader to fully understand the key issues and apply them in the design of optical gas absorption sensors. It provides a straightforward introduction to low-cost and highly versatile near-IR systems, as well as an extensive review of mid-IR systems. Fibre laser systems for spectroscopy are also examined in detail, especially the emerging technique of frequency comb spectroscopy. Featuring many examples of real-world application and performance, as well as MATLAB computer programs for modeling and simulation, this exceptional work is ideal for postgraduate students, researchers, and professional engineers seeking to gain an in-depth understanding of the principles and applications of fibre-optic and laser-based gas sensors.

Recent advances in lasers and measuring devices, as well as new capabilities in automated data acquisition, have made possible the design and practical implementation of self-sufficient lidar systems.

This textbook is based on a course given by the first-named author to third and fourth year undergraduate students from physics, engineering physics and electrical engineering. The purpose is to introduce and explain some of the fundamental principles underlying laser beam control in optoelectronics, especially those in relation to optical anisotropy which is at the heart of many optical devices. The book attempts to give the reader the background knowledge needed to work in a laser, optoelectronic or photonic environment, and to manage and handle laser beam equipment with ease.In this edition, recent research results on modern technologies and instruments relevant to laser optoelectronics have been added to each chapter. New material include: chirped pulse amplification for petawatt lasers; optical anisotropy; physical explanations for group velocity dispersion, group delay dispersion, and third order dispersion; an introduction of different types of laser systems; and both optical isotropy and anisotropy in different types of harmonic generation.Theories based upon mode-locking and chirped pulse amplifications have become increasingly more important. It is thus necessary that students learn all these in a course devoted to laser optoelectronics. As such, Chapter 12 is now devoted to mode-locking and carrier-envelope phase locking. A new chapter, Chapter 13, which focuses on chirped pulse amplification has also been added.