Laser: Fundamentals and Applications

By Prof. Manabendra Chandra | IIT Kanpur

Learners enrolled: 1239

A Laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. Because of its extremely high degree of monochromaticity, coherence, directionality, polarization, and power, etc., laser radiation or light has been widely used in high resolution spectroscopy and imaging, chemistry, optical communications, biomedicine, defense industries, etc. This course is intended for students who need to understand the basic principles of how lasers work and their main properties. This course provides the students a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of lasers: their unique properties, their operations and their applications. It will equip the students with the knowledge of how a coherent light is generated and amplified, the techniques behind different lasers’ design, and applications of lasers in spectroscopy, chemistry, medicine, biology, military and other areas.

INTENDED AUDIENCE : Senior UG and PG students

PREREQUISITES : Basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and optics would be helpful

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	8 weeks
Category :	Chemistry Photonics
Credit Points :	2
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	14 Sep 2020
End Date :	06 Nov 2020
Enrollment Ends :	25 Sep 2020
Exam Date :	18 Dec 2020 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Introduction; Importance: why laser?, unique properties of lasers; Brief history of laser development ; Laser basics

Week 2: Concept of stimulated emission; Einstein’s coefficients; Population inversion; Amplification of stimulated emission; Laser instrumentation fundamentals: Cavity, resonator and pumping processes; Gain medium

Week 3: Coherent radiation, standing waves and modes; The kinetics of laser emission; Rate equations; Threshold conditions; Pulsed and continuous wave laser emission; Various pulsing techniques: cavity dumping, Q-switching and mode-locking

Week 4: Transitions, lifetimes and linewidths: Three level laser, Four-level laser, emission linewidth; Properties of laser light: monochromaticity, spatial and temporal coherence, intensity, beam-width Similarity transforms,

Week 5: Laser sources; different types of lasers; Laser instrumentation details

Week 6: Applications of lasers in spectroscopy, chemistry, biology, medical sciences and other fields

Week 7: Applications of lasers in spectroscopy, chemistry, biology, medical sciences and other fields

Week 8: Applications of lasers in spectroscopy, chemistry, biology, medical sciences and other fields Summary of the course

Books and references

Laser Fundamentals by William T. Silfvast; Second Edition, Cambridge.
Laser Physics by P. W. Milonni and J. H. Eberly; Wiley.
Lasers in Chemistry by David L. Andrews; Third Edition; Springer

Instructor bio

Prof. Manabendra Chandra

IIT Kanpur

Dr. Manabendra Chandra is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at IIT Kanpur. His area of specialization is experimental physical chemistry.

Course certificate

• The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

• The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

• Date and Time of Exams: 18 December,2020, Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm

• Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

• The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

• Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE:

• Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 6 assignments out of the total 8 assignments given in the course.

• Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

• Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75.

• If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

• Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kanpur. It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc

• Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.