Physics 725 Laser Physics

Fall 2009


Catalog description:  [3 credits]
Laser operation, pumping mechanisms, resonators, optical coherence, photon statistics, non-linear optics, laser applications.
Prerequisites: PHYS 722. QUANTUM THEORY II

Time:  1:00 - 2:15 PM Days:  Tuesdays and Thursdays Location: LP 104

Instructor: Dr. Andrei Derevianko   
    Email : andrei_AT_unr.edu (replace _AT_ with @)   
    Office: LP 200 
    Phone: 784-6039 
Office hours: Every Wednesday, 1:30PM-2:30PM and by appointment. You could always drop me an e-mail with a question.

Textbook: "Lasers", by A. E. Siegman
Up to date reading of the textbook material is a standing homework assignment.

Recommended additional books:

  1. Laser Cooling and Trapping by H.J. Metcalf and P. van der Straten
  2. Laser Spectroscopy by Wolfgang Demtröder
  3. The Quantum Theory of Light by Rodney Loudon
  4. Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics Handbook, Ed. G. W.F. Drake

Important dates: (link to UNR academic calendar) (link to class schedule)

Your grade:
5% attendance, 25% homework, 10% presentation, 20% test#1, 20% test#2, 20% final exam.

Mapping scores to letter grades:
100 : A : 92.5 : A- : 82.5 : B+: 75 :B: 67.5 :B-:57.5, etc

Tests: 
There will be two written tests and the final written exam.

Presentation:
During the semester you will be asked to make a short 15 minute presentation on laser applications of your choice.

Homework Assignments:  
Problem sets will be handed out or posted on this web page  typically each Tuesday and will be due one week later. No late homework will be accepted. The homework will not be graded; everyone will get the full 100% by attempting all the problems and turning them in on time. Working through these problems is essential for doing well on the tests. Up to date reading of the  textbook material  is a standing homework assignment.

Unless stated otherwise, all problems are weighted equally.

Adobe Acrobat reader may be required for viewing the Homework assignments. The reader is available here free of charge.

Misc material:



Disability Statement: Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to contact the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Building Suite 101) at the University of Nevada, Reno, as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.  

URL of this document: http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~andrei/Teaching/
Last modified: November 24, 2009