Ultrafast Optics

 Lecture Notes

 

LEC #

TOPICS

LECTURE NOTES

1

Introduction to Ultrafast Optics

Chapter 1 (PDF)

2-4

Maxwell-Bloch Equation

Two-Level Atoms and Rabi Flopping

Dispersion, Absorption, Gain

Chapter 2 (PDF)

5-8

Nonlinear Pulse Propogation

Pulse Compression

Self-Phase Modulation (SPM) and Solitons

Soliton Pertubation Theory

Chapter 3 (PDF - 2.4 MB)

9-10

Rate Equations and Relaxation Oscillation

Q-Switching

Chapter 4 (PDF)

11

Master Equation and Active Mode-Locking

Chapter 5 (PDF)

12-13

Passive Mode-Locking with Fast Saturable Absorbers

Passive Mode-Locking with Slow Saturable Absorbers

Chapter 6 (PDF)

14-15

Artificial Saturable Absorber Mode-Locking (APM and KLM)

Kerr-Lens Mode-Locking (KLM)

Chapter 7 (PDF - 1.0 MB)

16

Semiconductor Saturable Absorber Mode-Locking

Chapter 8 (PDF)

17-18

Pulse Characterization I - Autocorrelation

Pulse Characterization II - FROG and SPIDER

Chapter 10 (PDF)

19-20

Noise in Mode-Locked Lasers

Frequency Metrology

Chapter 9 (PDF)

21

Ultrafast Measurement Techniques

Chapter 11 (PDF)

22

Pulse Amplification

Chapter 12 (PDF)

23

Optical Parametric Amplification (OPA) and Optical Parametric Oscillation (OPO)

 

24

Broadband Parametric Amplification

 

25

High-Harmonic Generation and Seeded Free-Electron Lasers

 

26

Ultrafast Optics Group Lab Tour

 

Assignments

Problem Set 1 (PDF)

Problem Set 2 (PDF)

Problem Set 3 (PDF)

Problem Set 4 (PDF)

Problem Set 5 (PDF)

Problem Set 6 (PDF)

Problem Set 7 (PDF)

Problem Set 8 (PDF)

Problem Set 9 (PDF)

Problem Set 10 (PDF)

Term Paper Proposal (PDF)