PHYS/ECE 464 Laser Physics I - Fall 2021

Instructor: Professor Mansoor Sheik-Bahae 

Office: PAIS 2220

 msb@unm.edu

No Lecture on Wed. 11/24  (Happy Thanksgiving!)

• Class meeting times: Mondays, Wednesdays 4:00pm- 5:15pm  
• Lectures will be held in-person in PAIS 1140 with social distancing. 
• Students will be notified in advance (before noon) in rare occasions when lectures are via Zoom. 
• Follow UNM guidelines on vaccination (i.e. GET VACCINATED!)     https://bringbackthepack.unm.edu/academics/instructor-guide/unm-policy-on-vaccination.html

Review Session, Wed. Dec. 8 . 

Final Exam (Dec. 13),  4-6pm

Comprehensive, Closed book, Closed notes

 2021 Final Formula Sheet 

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 NIST's Ultra-Stable Laser 

Textbook:Laser Electronics By Joseph T. Verdeyen

 Reference Textbooks:

• Optical Electronics in Modern Communications by Amnon Yariv
• Lasers by A. E. Siegman
• Laser Fundamentals by William Silfvast

Pre-requisites: E&M, Undergraduate Physics, Modern Physics, Knowledge of Differential Equations, Linear & Complex Algebra.

Teaching Assistant:  Ali Kazemi 

TAs Office Hours: TBD

Assignments:
Homework problem sets will be assigned on a regular basis throughout the semester, most likely one set per week.

Exams:
There will be two exams: One Midterm and the Final Exam. Tentative Test Date (subject to change):

• Midterm:  Wed. Oct. 27 (4-6pm)  
• Final :  12/13/21 (4-6pm) **

 Check the UNM's Office of Registrar for possible changes in the Final exam schedule.

Grading:

The final grade is weighted as follows:

• Midterm: 25%-35%*
• Final: 60%-50%*
• Homework: 15%

*Final Grade will be evaluated using the best of Final+Midterm scores based on above variable weighting factors.  

Laser Lab Tour: 
E-mail me if interested

Past Exams

• Midterm (2001), (2006), (2010), (2012),
  Final (2001), (2003), (2010), (2012)

 Some Lectures and other resources 

• Brief History of Lasers
• Specific Lasers (pdf)
• Semiconductor Lasers (pdf)
• Mode-locking Tutorial
• LASERS: solution looking for a problem The Movie

Course Syllabus

1. Introduction (historical overview) [1 lecture]
2. Review of E&M theory (Chapter 1) [2 lectures]
3. Ray Tracing (ABCD matrix method) (Chapter 2) [3 lectures]
4. Gaussian Beams (Chapter 3) [4 lectures]
5. Optical Cavities (Chapter 5 & 6) [2 lectures]
6. Gain Medium (field-atom interaction) (Chapter 7) [5 lectures]
7. Laser Oscillation (Chapter 8) [4 lectures]
8. General Laser Characteristics (Chapter 9) [6 lectures]
9. Various Laser Systems (Parts of Chapters 10 & 11) [3 lectures]

Homework and Reading Assignments

 Review Session, Wed. Dec. 8 . 

Final Exam (Dec. 13),  4-6pm

Comprehensive, Closed book, Closed notes

 2021 Final Formula Sheet pdf

Exam Rules