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Preface | |
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Acknowledgments | |
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An Overview of Laser Technology | |
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What are Lasers Used For? | |
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Lasers in Telecommunications | |
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Lasers in Research and Medicine | |
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Lasers in Graphics and Grocery Stores | |
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Lasers in the Military | |
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Other Laser Applications | |
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The Nature of Light | |
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Electromagnetic Waves | |
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Wave-Particle Duality | |
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Refractive Index, Polarization, and Brightness | |
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Light Propagation-Refractive Index | |
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Huygens' Principle | |
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Polarization | |
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Polarization Components | |
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Birefringence | |
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Brewster's Angle | |
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Brightness | |
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Interference | |
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What is Optical Interference? | |
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Everyday Examples of Optical Interference | |
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Young's Double-Slit Experiment | |
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Fabry Perot Interferometer | |
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Laser Light | |
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Monochromaticity | |
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Directionality | |
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Coherence | |
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Atoms, Molecules, and Energy Levels | |
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Atomic Energy Levels | |
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Spontaneous Emission and Stimulated Emission | |
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Molecular Energy Levels | |
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Some Subtle Refinements | |
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Energy Distributions and Laser Action | |
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Boltzmann Distribution | |
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Population Inversion | |
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L.A.S.E.R. | |
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Three-Level and Four-Level Lasers | |
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Pumping Mechanisms | |
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Laser Resonators | |
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Why a Resonator? | |
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Circulating Power | |
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Gain and Loss | |
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Another Perspective on Saturation | |
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Relaxation Oscillations | |
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Oscillator-Amplifiers | |
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Unstable Resonators | |
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Laser Mirrors | |
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Resonator Modes | |
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Spatial Energy Distributions | |
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Transverse Resonator Modes | |
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Gaussian-Beam Propagation | |
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A Stability Criterion | |
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Longitudinal Modes | |
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Reducing Laser Bandwidth | |
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Measuring Laser Bandwidth | |
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Laser-Broadening Mechanisms | |
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Reducing Laser Bandwidth | |
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Single-Mode Lasers | |
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Q-Switching | |
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Measuring the Output of Pulsed Lasers | |
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Q-Switching | |
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Types of Q-Switches | |
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Mechanical Q-Switches | |
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A-0 Q-Switches | |
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E-0 Q-Switches | |
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Dye Q-Switches | |
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Cavity Dumping and Modelocking | |
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Cavity Dumping | |
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Partial Cavity Dumping | |
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Modelocking-Time Domain | |
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Modelocking-Frequency Domain | |
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Applications of Modelocked Lasers | |
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Types of Modelocked Lasers | |
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Nonlinear Optics | |
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What is Nonlinear Optics? | |
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Second-Harmonic Generation | |
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Birefringent Phase Matching | |
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Quasi-Phasematching | |
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Intracavity Harmonic Generation | |
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Higher Harmonics | |
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Optical Parametric Oscillation | |
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Raman lasers | |
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Semiconductor Lasers | |
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Semiconductor Physics | |
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Modern Diode Lasers | |
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Diode Laser Bandwidth | |
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Wavelength of Diode Lasers | |
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Diode Arrays and Stacks | |
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Vertical Cavity, Surface-Emitting Lasers | |
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Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers | |
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Quantum Cascade Lasers | |
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Solid-State Lasers | |
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Solid-State Laser Materials | |
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Diode-Pumped Solid State Lasers | |
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Diode-Pumping Geometry | |
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Pump Diodes, Pulsing, and Packaging | |
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Lamp Pumping | |
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Thermal Issues in Solid-State Lasers | |
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Scaling Diode-Pumped Lasers to High Power | |
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Fiber Lasers | |
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Acceptance Angle and Numerical Aperture | |
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Doping Optical Fibers | |
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Pumping Fiber Lasers | |
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Fabricating Optical Fibers | |
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Feedback for Fiber Lasers | |
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High Power Fiber Lasers | |
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Large-Mode-Area Fibers | |
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Holey Fibers | |
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Gas lasers: Helium-Neon and Ion | |
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Gas-Laser Transitions | |
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Gas-Laser Media and Tubes | |
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Laser Excitation | |
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Optical Characteristics | |
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Wavelengths and Spectral Width | |
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He-Ne Lasers | |
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Principles of He-Ne Lasers | |
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Structure of He-Ne Lasers | |
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Ar and Kr-Ion Lasers | |
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Carbon Dioxide and Other Vibrational Lasers | |
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Vibrational Transitions | |
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Excitation | |
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Types of C02 Lasers | |
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Optics for C02 Lasers | |
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Chemical Lasers | |
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Excimer Lasers | |
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Excimer Molecules | |
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Electrical Considerations | |
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Handling the Gases | |
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Applications of Excimer Lasers | |
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Tunable and Ultrafast Lasers | |
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Dye Lasers | |
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Tunable Solid-State Lasers | |
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Nonlinear Converters | |
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Ultrafast Lasers | |
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Glossary | |
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Further Reading | |
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Index | |