<p><strong>PH-503  Lasers and Quantum Optics </strong></p>
<ol>
  <li>Review  of quantum mechanics, Dirac&rsquo;s notation, Pauli spin matrices, electromagnetic  waves and photons, wavelength and frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. </li>
  <li>Spontaneous  and stimulated emission, absorption. Maser principle, cavity, gain medium,  population inversion, Boltzmann statistics, threshold condition.</li>
  <li>Three-level  laser, properties of a laser beams, black-body radiation theory. Modes of a  rectangular cavity, Raleigh-Jeans and Planck radiation formula. </li>
  <li>Semi-classical  treatment of the interaction of radiation and matter. Radiative transition  rates, Interaction Hamiltonian, dipole approximation, rotating-wave  approximation, electric dipole moment, allowed and forbidden transitions, ratio  of the electric-dipole transition probability to the magnetic dipole transition  probability, transition cross-section, absorption and gain coefficients.</li>
  <li>Line-broadening  mechanisms. Homogeneous broadening, collision broadening and natural  broadening. Wiener-Kinchine and Parseval&rsquo;s theorem. Inhomogeneous and Doppler  broadening. </li>
  <li>Rate  equation approach to Laser theory, stationary solution, time-dependent  solution, Gain, loss and saturation parameters, lasing condition.</li>
  <li>Ray  and wave propagation in optical media. Matrix formulation of Geometrical  optics. Wave reflection and transmission at a dielectric interface. Diffraction  optics in paraxial approximation.</li>
  <li>Passive  optical resonators, plane-parallel (Fabry-Perot) resonator, concentric,  confocal, generalized spherical and ring resonator. Eigen-modes and  Eigen-values. Stability condition, unstable resonator, photon lifetime and  cavity Q.</li>
  <li>Q-switching,  electro-optical, and acousto-optic Q-switches, saturable absorber Q-switch.</li>
  <li>Theory  of mode-locking, active and passive mode-locking. </li>
  <li>Laser  excitation techniques, optical, electrical, and chemical pumping, laser  pumping, excitation transfer, meta-stable states and lifetimes.</li>
  <li>Types  of lasers, solid-state, dye and semiconductor lasers, gas, chemical, free  electron, and X-ray lasers, laser applications.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p><strong>Recommended texts:</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><em>Principles of Lasers</em>, by Orazio Svelto, publisher: Plenum  Press; 4th Edition, (1998).</li>
  <li><em>Laser Fundamentals</em>, by William T. Silfvast, publisher:  Cambridge University Press, (2004). </li>
</ul>