Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology

© Dr. R�diger Paschotta

Last update: 2009-05-22

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An Open Access Encyclopedia
for Photonics and Laser Technology

This comprehensive open-access encyclopedia, authored by Dr. R�diger Paschotta and provided by RP Photonics Consulting GmbH, explains the physical principles and common techniques in laser technology, while also covering major areas of fiber-optic technology and nonlinear optics, and addressing supplementary topics like ultrashort pulses, optical communications, general optics, optoelectronics, and quantum optics. Many references to selected scientific articles and textbooks aid further studies.

The encyclopedia is freely accessible and part of the WWW Virtual Library, and through it RP Photonics provides a much appreciated service to both the photonics industry and the academic community.

So far, the encyclopedia contains 562 technical articles. Of course, the nature of such kind of projects is that they are never finished – feedback in the form of comments, corrections and suggestions is welcome.

Simply click on one of the letters in the table above in order to display the keywords beginning with that letter. You will find whole articles (not just definitions as in a dictionary or a glossary!) on a large number of keywords.

For conveniently finding this resource again, please bookmark the page in your browser. You may also use the following button for various bookmarking services:

Related Pages

Besides the encyclopedia articles, there are related pages, which you can reach via the menu on the top of this page:

• Grouping of the articles into categories
• Glossary of photonics terms
• List of new articles (with RSS feed)
• Feedback form: send comments and suggestions to RP Photonics
• Hints for making links on your own web page
• Opportunities for advertising in the encyclopedia
• Suggestions concerning the use of the encyclopedia
• The Photonics Spotlight, a blog with interesting news in photonics and laser technology
• The Photonics Quiz with a number of questions on laser technology and related areas

Examples for Available Articles in Various Topical Areas:

• Lasers and amplifiers: laser design and development, laser resonators, laser and amplifier noise, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, broad area laser diodes, fiber-coupled diode lasers, diode-pumped lasers, fiber lasers and amplifiers, power scaling, distributed feedback lasers, upconversion, gain media, amplified spontaneous emission, beam pointing fluctuations, single-frequency operation, spatial hole burning, relaxation oscillations, red, green and blue lasers, cryogenic lasers, laser modeling, beam quality, laser safety
• Nonlinear optics: nonlinear crystal materials, intracavity or resonant frequency doubling, sum and difference frequency generation, optical parametric oscillators, parametric generators and amplifiers, Brillouin and Raman scattering, self- and cross-phase modulation, four-wave mixing, quasi-phase matching
• Fiber optics: high power fiber lasers and amplifiers, Raman amplifiers, single-mode and multi-mode fibers, rare-earth-doped fibers, double-clad fibers, dispersion-shifted fibers, photonic crystal fibers, fiber Bragg gratings, adiabatic soliton compression, nonlinear polarization rotation
• Optical pulses: bandwidth-limited pulses, parabolic pulses, mode-locked lasers, additive-pulse mode locking, regenerative amplifiers, chirped-pulse amplification, transform limit, time–bandwidth product, frequency combs, timing jitter, pulse duration measurements, Kelly sidebands, parabolic pulses, Q-switched lasers
• Optical devices and optoelectronics: interferometers, Bragg mirrors, beam shapers, optical filters, avalanche photodiodes, light-emitting diodes, superluminescent diodes, electro-optic modulators, acousto-optic modulators, optical tweezers, arrayed waveguide gratings, integrating spheres, mode cleaner cavities, Lyot filters, integrated optics, silicon photonics
• Optical communications: optical fiber communications, fiber-optic links and networks, telecom windows, free-space optical communications, amplifier noise, bit error rate, bandwidth–distance product, optical modulators, photonic integrated circuits
• Quantum optics and quantum effects: squeezed states of light, Glauber states, quantum wells, quantum dots, light forces, laser cooling, quantum noise, shot noise, Schawlow–Townes linewidth, quantum cryptography
• Noise in optics: noise specifications, power spectral density, timing jitter, Gordon–Haus jitter, quantum noise, squeezed states of light, standard quantum limit, shot noise, relative intensity noise, phase noise, noise eaters, linewidth, stabilization of lasers
• General optics: Kramers–Kronig relations, Fourier spectrum, Gaussian beams, Hermite–Gaussian modes, Gouy phase shift, beam quality, brightness, optical resonators, waveguide dispersion, finesse, coherence, phase velocity and group velocity, superluminal transmission and causality, optical metrology

You may also browse the articles via a list of categories.

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This encyclopedia is authored by Dr. R�diger Paschotta, the founder and executive of RP Photonics Consulting GmbH. Contact this distinguished expert in laser technology, nonlinear optics and fiber optics, and find out how his technical consulting services (e.g. product designs, problem solving, independent evaluations, or staff training) could become very valuable for your business!