UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH BOHEMIA IN ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE
Study programmes & Course catalogue
for academic year 2025/2026
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH BOHEMIA IN ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE
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Course: Laser physics

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Course title Laser physics
Course code UFY/510
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Practice
Level of course Doctoral
Year of study not specified
Frequency of the course In academic years starting with an even year (e.g. 2020/2021), in the winter semester.
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 0
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Polívka Tomáš, prof. RNDr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Laser Principle (Coherent electromag. wave, An active medium, Laser resonator, Threshold condition etc.) 2. Fabry-Perot Resonator (Fabry-Perot interferometer, V factor, Resonance curve of Fabry-Perot resonator) 3. The Active Medium, Energy Levels and Lineshape Functions (Two-level, Three-level, Four-level Lasers, Homogeneous and inhomogeneous line broadening, Lorentz functions, Gaussian lineshape function, Energy relaxation, Dephasing) 4. Cavity Resonator (Modes of cavity resonator, Density of modes, Fresnel number, TE waves and TM waves) 5. Gaussian Waves and Open Resonators (Open resonator, Helmholtz equation, Gaussian wave, Confocal resonator, Transverse modes, Diffraction loss) 6. Different Ways of Operating a Laser: Single-Mode, Tunable, Q-switched Lasers 7. Femtosecond Laser, Mode Locking (Active and passive mode locking, Pump-probe method) 8. Gas Lasers (Doppler broadening of spectral lines, Collision broadening, He-Ne laser) 9. Solid State Lasers (Ruby laser, Titanium-sapphire laser, YAG lasers, Fiber lasers) 10. Semiconductor Lasers (Bipolar and unipolar semiconductor lasers, Quantum well lasers etc.) 11. Optical Parametric Amplifiers and Other Applications of Nonlinear Optics (Optical frequency doubler, OPA, White light generation) 12. Aplications of Lasers 13. Laser Parameters Measurement Methods (Absorption, Fluorescence, Autocorrelation, Spectrometry, Power/energy determination, Transient absorption, Polarization optics etc.) Main part of the course consists of lectures, accompanied by practicals which contain problems to solve. In the later stage of the course the practicals are dedicated to measurement of characteristics of materials that will be used for building solid state laser. Lectures and practicals are also supplemented by excursions to laser laboratory, where different types of lasers and laser based measuring techniques are demonstrated.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Demonstration, Practical training
  • Preparation for exam - 20 hours per semester
  • Preparation for credit - 15 hours per semester
  • Class attendance - 40 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
Students will gain knowledge of the principle of laser function, about different active media and other necessary parts of lasers and their properties. They will learn how to determine or measure important properties of these parts. They will also find out about different types of lasers and their applications in physics, biology and other science and research.
Students will learn theoretical principles of function of various kinds of lasers. They will learn to assemble and tune solid state laser and will get a hands-on experience with a couple of techniques for measurement of parameters of essential laser components.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of optics, non-linear optics and quantum physics (eg. Fyzika 3, Fyzika 4, Nelineární optika, Kvantová teorie).

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination, Test

Successful passing of oral examination (min. 60% of properly answered questions), fulfillment of homework (solving problems), participation on practical exercises, active approach at lectures and practices.
Recommended literature
  • Renk, K. F. Basics of Laser Physics for Students of Science and Engineering, Second Edition, Springer 2017. 2017.
  • Svelto O.:. Principles of lasers. 4th ed. Plenum Press, New York, 1998..
  • Weiner, A. M. Ultrafast Optics, John Wiley & Sons 2009. 2009.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH BOHEMIA IN ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE, date of update: 15.06.2025 23:50. Data created for academic year 2025/2026