Syllabus
1. Model of lasing device, laser cavity, modes of the cavity. Conditions of stability, Gaussian beams.
2. Classical rate equations. Laser treshold, Q-switching, relaxation oscillations.
3. Two-level model of a material, Bloch equations. Superradiance, photo echo, non-linear parametric interactions, relaxation of inversion and free polarization. Maxwell-Bloch equations, semiclassical description of the laser. Single-mode and multi-mode regimes, resonance frequency.
4. Fluctuations in quantum systems, influence of heat bath on the laser. Fully quantum descritpion.
5. Relation between different levels of description, limits for their application. Stability of the laser, typical chaacteristics of the laser output.
6. Solution of coupled equations for particular problems, mode locking, stabilization of lasers, homogeneous and inhomogeneous systems.
Annotation
Theoretical description of laser using classical, semiclassical or fully quantum-mechanical theory, derivation of coupled equations. Relations between various levels of description and areas of their application.
Laser stability, methods of solution of coupled equations. Sample numerical and analytical solutions of particular problems.
Generation regimes of lasers, construction of laser cavities.