Basics of Laser Physics For Students of Science and Engineering [Paperback]

This textbook provides an introductory presentation of all types of lasers. It contains a general description of the laser, a theoretical treatment and a characterization of its operation as it deals with gas, solid state, free-electron and semiconductor lasers. This expanded and updated second edition of the book presents a description of the dynamics of free-electron laser oscillation using a model introduced in the first edition that allows a reader to understand basic properties of a free-electron laser and makes the difference to conventional lasers. The discussions and the treatment of equations are presented in a way that a reader can immediately follow. The book addresses graduate and undergraduate students in science and engineering, featuring problems with solutions and over 400 illustrations.

Part I - General Description of a Laser and an Example.- Part II - Theoretical Basis of the Laser.- Part III - Operation of a Laser.- Part IV - Types of Lasers (Except Semiconductor Lasers).- Part V -  Semiconductor Lasers.- Part VI - Laser Related Topics.

Karl F. Renk received a diploma degree (1962) and a Ph.D. (1966) in physics from the Universit?t Freiburg, Germany. He worked as a Senior Research Physicist at the University Reading, Great Britain (1966/67) and as Wissenschaftlicher Assistant at the Technische Universit?t M?nchen (1967-72). From 1972 to 2006, he was a Professor of Physics at the Universit?t Regensburg, Germany, and since 2006, Professor Emeritus. He had visiting appointments at the Research Center J?lich (1974), High-Field Magnet Laboratory of the Max-Planck Society, Grenoble (1976), University of CalĐ