Laser Optics 101 (Centripetal Softcover)

This photonics course is suitable for students in high school or college and includes enough introductory detail to make the course accessible even to diligent high school freshmen.

To capture students’ fascination and interest, the discussions and projects contained in the 11 beautifully illustrated chapters of Laser Optics 101 are specifically designed around the use of state-of-the-art optical equipment. Mathematical topics addressed include units of measure, logarithms, Snell’s law, the small-angle approximation, radian measure, the sine and tangent relations, phase, and scalars and vectors. Other topics include detailed studies of laser safety; the care and handling of optical components; the use of lasers, lenses, mirrors, beamsplitters, and their mounts; the physics of gas-laser operation; reflection and refraction; polarization; the wave and particle models of light; diffraction; and interference.

Each of the 8 projects includes step-by-step instructions, and advice about hardware and a full parts list for each project are included in an appendix. Another appendix provides a detailed description of how to set up a high-performance laser optics lab.