Lecture 1. History

 Quantum Electronics is the branch of physics dealing with methods of amplification and generation of electromagnetic radiation by utilizing the phenomenon of stimulated emission in the thermodynamically unbalanced quantum systems. Quantum Electronics deals also with the properties of generators and amplifiers obtained in this way and their applications.

 The word LASER is an acronym for the full English name of the mechanism of action: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, coined in 1957 by the laser pioneer Gordon Gould

 Laser technology - interaction of laser radiation with matter and its use in technology, medicine and science.

 Introduction – a bit of history  The phenomenon of stimulated emission as the basis of quantum electronics  Optical resonator  Spatial-temporal characteristics of the laser radiation  Gas lasers  Solid state lasers  Semiconductor lasers

 Other lasers  Interaction of the laser radiation with matter  Holography  Lasers in medicine  Lasers in technology  Lasers in science  Other applications

 Albert Einstein discovered by theoretical considerations the phenomenon of stimulated emission  W. A. Fabrikant justified the possibility of receiving the phenomenon of stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the experimental way  Alfred Kastler proposed optical method of generating changes in the population distribution of different energy levels of atoms as a result of the lighting of medium, which is called optical pumping.

 W latach z koncepcj ą budowy wzmacniacza mikrofal dzia ł aj ą cego na zasadzie wymuszonej emisji wyst ą pili, niezale ż nie od siebie, Charles H. Townes i jego wspó ł pracownicy w USA  Charles H. Townes wraz z J. Gorgonem i H. Zeigerem zbudowali pierwsze urz ą dzenie b ę d ą ce wzmacniaczem kwantowym – zwane maserem

 The Nobel-prize-winning, pioneering work of C. H. Townes, of the USA, and N. G. Basov and A. M. Prokhovov, both of the former Soviet Union, occurred with the development of concepts for lasers and masers.  Theodore Maiman built the world’s first working laser, a pulsed, ruby device, at the Hughes Research Labs in California.

 1961 – A. Javan, W.R. Bennett i D.R. Herriott built first He-Ne laser  Snitzer built firs solid state laser on neodymium glass  In the fall of 1962, important work at General Electric, IBM, and Lincoln Laboratory led to the independent demonstrations of the first semiconductor diode lasers, all reported within one month of each other.  1963 – dye lasers were independently discovered by P.P. Sorokin and F.P. Shafer  Gaisik and Karkos built laser on the basis of yttrium aluminum garnet doped with neodymium.

 C.K.N. Patel built CO 2 continuous molecular laser

 K. Ł ukaszewski, Wst ę p do elektroniki kwantowej i optyki nieliniowej, skrypt WFTIMS, Ł ód ź  F. Kaczmarek, Wst ę p do fizyki laserów, PWN, Warszawa 1979  N.W. Kar ł ow, Wyk ł ady z fizyki laserów, WNT, Warszawa 1989

 A.H. Piekara, Nowe oblicze optyki, PWN, Warszawa 1976

 Final teoretical test  Reports from 2 experiments  Final rank = Written test (50%) and reports from experiments (50%)