ECE 4300: Lasers and Optoelectronics

Fall 2016, Cornell University

Instructors

Prof. Debdeep Jena (web) & Prof. Clif Pollock (web)

Departments of ECE and MSE, Cornell University

Class Hours

MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am

Location: Bard Hall 140, Official Course Link

Office hours: TBD

Prerequisites

ECE 3030 or permission of instructor.

About the course

Introduction to the operation, physics, and application of lasers. The course covers diffraction-limited optics, Gaussian beams, optical resonators, the interaction of radiation with matter, stimulated emission, rate equations, and laser design. Examples of coherent radiation to nonlinear optics, communication, and leading-edge research are frequently used. Course concludes with a lab where students design and then build a laser.

Outcomes

+Be able to analytically design and physically construct a functional laser with simple optics.

+Be able to design a laser optic system using mirrors, lenses and gain media based on Gaussian beam analysis.

+Understand the general operating principles of laser systems, and be knowledgeable of specific systems (e.g. tunable, ultrafast, high power, fiber and semiconductor lasers).

+Understand how to design and the physics behind continuous wave operation, mode locking, Q-switching, and harmonic generation.

Textbooks

The following text will be required for the course:

- Laser Electronics (Joseph T. Verdeyen, 3^rd Edition)

Course related materials

+ Tentative course calendar

+ Supporting Slides [Note: the slides are not meant to replace the text!]

+ Handout 0: Course Information

+ Handout 1: Townes’ historical perspective on lasers (About Townes)

+ Handout 2: Schawlow’s historical perspective on lasers (About Schawlow)

+ Handout 3: Hansch’s article on Edible Lasers! (About Hansch)

+ Handout 4: Alferov’s article on Semiconductor Lasers (About Alferov)