Ultrafast lasers and optics for experimentalists

✍ Scribed by James David Pickering

• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 157
• Series: IOP ebooks
• Category: Library

✦ Table of Contents

Preface
Common laser terminology
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Author biography
James David Pickering
Chapter 1 Lasers
1.1 Why lasers?
1.2 Laser action
1.3 Oscillators and amplifiers
1.3.1 Amplifiers
1.3.2 Oscillators
References
Chapter 2 Laser light and laser beams
2.1 Laser light
2.1.1 Pulsed lasers and time-bandwidth products
2.1.2 The transform limit
2.1.3 Repetition rates and pulse trains
2.1.4 Polarisation
2.2 Gaussian beams
2.2.1 Ideal beam parameters
2.2.2 Deviations from ideality
References
Chapter 3 Dispersion
3.1 Origins of dispersion
3.2 Dispersion, ultrafast pulses, and chirp
3.2.1 Envelopes and carriers
3.3 Propagation through a dispersive medium
3.3.1 The role of the spectral phase
3.3.2 The form of the spectral phase
3.4 Group delay dispersion
3.5 Predicting broadening from dispersion
3.6 Dispersion of optical elements
3.7 Pulse compression—compensating for dispersion
References
Chapter 4 Non-linear optics
4.1 Non-linear material response
4.1.1 Self-focussing and self-phase modulation
4.2 Non-linear frequency mixing
4.2.1 Birefringent phase matching
4.3 Optical parametric amplification
References
Chapter 5 Generating ultrashort pulses
5.1 Laser systems
5.2 Oscillators
5.2.1 Q-switching?
5.2.2 Modelocking
5.3 Amplifiers
5.3.1 Chirped pulse amplification
5.3.2 Regenerative amplification
5.4 Pulse compression
5.4.1 Compressor geometries
5.4.2 Alternative strategies for compression
5.4.3 Optical parametric amplifiers
References
Chapter 6 Characterising ultrashort pulses
6.1 Temporal characterisation
6.1.1 Measure what?
6.1.2 Measuring the central frequency
6.1.3 Electronic measurement?
6.1.4 Measuring the intensity profile: autocorrelation
6.1.5 Measuring the spectral phase: FROG
6.1.6 One complication: measuring UV pulses
6.2 Spatial characterisation
6.2.1 Beam waist
6.2.2 Divergence
6.3 Energy characterisation
6.3.1 Energy and power
6.3.2 Peak power, fluence, and intensity
References
Chapter 7 Optical elements
7.1 General considerations
7.1.1 Optical substrates
7.1.2 Optical coatings
7.1.3 Optical labelling
7.2 Mirrors
7.2.1 Metallic mirrors
7.2.2 Dielectric mirrors
7.2.3 Chirped mirrors
7.2.4 Cost and damage
7.3 Beamsplitters
7.3.1 Standard beamsplitters
7.3.2 Dichroic beamsplitters/mirrors
7.4 Polarisation optics
7.4.1 Polarisers
7.4.2 Waveplates
7.5 Focussing optics
7.5.1 Lenses
7.5.2 Mirrors
7.6 Gratings and prisms
7.6.1 Gratings
7.6.2 Prisms
7.7 Windows and filters
7.7.1 Windows
7.7.2 Filters
7.7.3 Neutral density filters
7.8 Optomechanics
7.8.1 Anatomy of a mounted optic
7.8.2 Tips for buying optomechanics
References
Chapter 8 Building a beamline
8.1 Safety!
8.2 Planning
8.2.1 What light do I need?
8.2.2 General principles
8.2.3 Sketching a beamline
8.2.4 Budgetary constraints
8.3 Optical building
8.3.1 Beam steering
8.3.2 Overlapping beams
Chapter 9 Case study: pump-probe beamline
9.1 Initial equipment
9.2 Requirements
9.2.1 Constraints
9.3 Design and construction
9.3.1 Pulse durations
Chapter
A.1 Wave vectors
A.2 Phase
Reference
Chapter
Chapter