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Course Info | Class Notes | Evaluation / Check Marks | Labs | Class Schedule & Homework |

Course Description

PHTN1400 Principles of Laser Systems

This course is offered as part of the Photonics Engineering Technology (3 year) Program at Niagara College.

Evaluation ...

• Two midterm examinations, totalling 60%, as follows ...
Midterm #1 during week 6 in class (Friday 2012/10/12)
60 minutes, in class, worth 20%.
Final term test during week 14 in class (Friday 2012/12/07)
90 minutes, in class, worth 40%.


• Labs and assignments valued at 40% total

Course policies follow the Standardized Policies and Procedures for CEE (dated January 2011). In summary:

• LATE assignments are worth ZERO. There is no "grace period" with a "per day" penalty. Late submissions (i.e. ANY not printed and ready when you enter the lab) receive a mark of zero. You will be DENIED access to the printer at the start of the lab - either the lab is ready to submit, or it is late and hence worth zero.
• Students are allowed only ONE single-day late submission without penalty. This is a once only one-day extension ... once used, any further late submission will receive an automatic zero.
(This policy reflects expectations in the real world: to be late for work, once, will likely not result in termination however chronic late arrivals will almost certainly result in job loss. Develop good work ethic _now_.)
• Students must pass the theory (testing) and practical (lab/assignment) portions of the course separately in order to receive a passing grade. If a failing grade is received in either portion, then the lower of the two marks (theory or practical) will become the final grade.
• In order to be considered for supplementary evaluation (SE) upon failure in this course, a mark of 50% minimum will be required in the practical (lab/assignment) portion of the course plus a mark of 45% minimum in the theory (testing) portion. A theory mark of 44% or less, or a lab mark of 49% or less, will result in failure with no SE option.
• Granting of an SE is not automatic - those qualifying for an SE must apply to the chair who will arrange for the SE (since staff must be assigned to deliver the SE)
• Devices capable of RF reception are specifically banned during all examinations and tests. This includes cell phones (which are not permitted, whether turned on or not) as well as tablets and laptops. Scientific calculators must not have RF capability (i.e. the use of a cell phone, tablet, or laptop as a calculator is expressly forbidden even if the "wireless" function is switched off). Translational references and dictionaries must be in paper form, not on an electronic device.

Complete course policies can be found in the Teaching and Learning Plan (T&LP) document found on Blackboard.

Textbook

Fundamentals of Light Sources and Lasers by Csele, 2004, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-47660-9

Course Notes and References

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for lasers in Niagara College's high powered laser labs.

Week 1:

• Laser Gain (Password Protected PDF)
Week 2:

• Cross Sections and Gain (Password Protected PDF)
• Transition Probabilities of Neon-I (Password Protected PDF)
Week 3:

• Simulating Laser Power in-class notes on power buildup in the HeNe laser from class. Password protected PDF.
Week 4:

• Predicting Pump Threshold in-class notes expanding on Csele 5.10 and an excellent pre-lab. Password protected PDF.


• Modeling Solid-State Lasers a tutorial for the Time Domain Modelling lab. Password protected PDF.
• Time Domain Behaviour covering spiking behaviour and inversions during a Q-switched pulse. Password protected PDF.
• Solid-State Lasers: A Graduate Text by Koechner and Bass. Section 3.5 covers spiking behavious in solid-state lasers.


• Practice Questions - Test #2 Selected questions as presented in-class. Password protected PDF.
• Formula Sheet as supplied with the test

Homework & Class Schedule

Laboratory Assignments

There are four labs in this course. Lab sessions are two-hours in length.

In line with departmental policies, the lab portion of this course MUST be passed SEPARATELY from the theory portion in order to pass this course. Late labs result in an immediate mark of ZERO with no exceptions and no excuses accepted (including the now infamous "my printer ran out of ink" and "my computer died"). Failure to submit a lab (and a late lab is considered failed and will receive a mark of zero) will result in the student being placed on course condition. Failure to submit a second lab results in immediate EXPULSION from the course.

Lab 1: Lasing threshold of a Solid-State Laser
The threshold of pump power for a long-pulse YAG laser is determined. Several relationships in the text are proven and a simple mathematical model is developed to include inserted intra-cavity losses.
Lab Session 2012/09/14 in V15
Lab Report due at the beginning of the class period on the following week (2012/09/21). Failure to submit this lab BEFORE or ON the due date and time will result in an immediate ZERO on the lab and placing of the student on course condition (meaning one more late or missing lab results in immediate EXPULSION from the course without recourse).


Lab 2: Lasing threshold of a Semiconductor Laser UPDATED for 2012
In the lab, several key physical parameters of a commercial-grade semiconductor diode laser are determined and from these a model is developed to predict the threshold current of the device (following question 5.9 on page 158 of Csele).
Lab Session 2012/09/28 in V15
Lab Report due at the beginning of the class period on the following week (2012/10/05). Failure to submit this lab BEFORE or ON the due date and time will result in an immediate ZERO on the lab and placing of the student on course condition (meaning one more late or missing lab results in immediate EXPULSION from the course without recourse).
Marking Scheme: Q1=2, Q2=2, Q3=2, Q4=1, Q5=2, Q6=11, Q7=4, Q8=3, Q9=4, Q10=3, Q11=3, Q12=2 for a total of 39 marks


Lab #3: Time Domain Modelling of a Solid-State Laser System UPDATED for 2012
By monitoring the flashlamp intensity of a solid-state YAG laser, a model is developed to predict the inversion, and hence the gain, as it develops in time taking into account both pumped population as well as spontaneous decay. Results of the model are compared to actual experimental results. In this manner, the optimal time to open the Q-switch may be predicted.
This is a two-week lab.
PART A: Lab Session 2012/11/02 in V15
PART B: Lab Session 2012/11/09 in V15
Lab Report for Part A (consisting of the spreadsheet model using experimentally-determined pump pulse parameters) due at the beginning of the second lab period on 2012/11/09. Lab Report for Part B is due in class on 2012/11/16.


Lab #4: Double-Pulse Q-Switched lasers
An Apollo 22HD double-pulsed ruby laser employing an EO Pockels cell Q-switch will be used to investigate energy storage in a solid-state laser medium. The first pulse will be set to zero and the second pulse to optimally deplete the energy in the rod. The first pulse will then be varied until pulse energy is matched between the two and finally the second pulse is extinct. Calculations will then be performed determining the energy storage parameters of the rod. This experiment will be performed in V13A (advanced optics lab) where the laser is housed.
Lab Session 2012/11/23 in V15


The lab schedule is subject to change based on availability of laboratory equipment

Contacts:

For the Photonics Technician/Technology programs ...
Program Coordinator Alexander McGlashan
Telephone (905) 735-2211 x.7513
E-Mail:

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Some images and text excerpted from Fundamentals of Light Sources and Lasers by Csele, John Wiley & Sons, 2004, ISBN 0-471-47660-9 and hence are Copyright © John Wiley and Sons. Further reproduction in any form is prohibited without written approval from the publisher.