Teaching 


Laser Interactions with Matter

A.P. E6110
3.0 points (lecture course)

Background needed: Some electromagnetic theory and some quantum mechanics. A little quantum electronics would be helpful, but is not absolutely necessary.

Instructor: Professor Irving P. Herman
X4-4950, 905 Schapiro CEPSR, iph1@columbia.edu
Office hours: by appointment

Text: Required text: R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics (Academic, 1992).
Recommended text: I. P. Herman, Optical Diagnostics for Thin film Processing (Academic, 1996).


Overall Course Outline

1. Basic theory - coupling Schrodinger's and Maxwell's equations
2. Linear dielectric theory; reflectometry and ellipsometry; - magneto- and electro-optics; anisotropies
3. Laser-matter interactions producing no net material excitation (nonlinear optics)
  a. Three-wave mixing
  b. Four-wave mixing
  c. Surface nonlinear optics
4. Laser-matter interactions producing thermal or incoherent material excitation
  a. Linear interactions - absorption, dielectrics
 b. Laser probing, linear spectroscopy, and diagnostics - spontaneous Raman and Brillouin scattering, photoluminescence, laser-induced absorption
  c. Elastic light scattering; Mie scattering; scatterometry
  d. Optical thermometry, metrology; surface specific optical spectroscopies
  e. Laser processing, laser heating, laser applications to materials processing
  f. Self focusing; confinement in fibers
5. Laser-matter interactions producing coherent, non-linear, or selective material excitation
  a. Stimulated Raman scattering
  b. High resolution saturation spectroscopy
  c. Interaction of strong field with atoms and molecules: Stark effects, multiphoton excitation and ionization spectroscopy, infrared laser multiple-photon dissociation of molecules, laser isotope separation
  d. Transient optical effects


Course grade determined by: several problem sets + one "major-league level" term paper due at (or somewhat before) the last class.