Laser Fundamentals

Rating:
Summary: Good introductory book
Review: Basically a book for newbies in the field who wish to know how a laser works and the different types of lasers available in the market. I recommend it to anyone who only wishes to scratch the surface on this field.

Rating:
Summary: Check this out too!
Review: I also recommend Orazio Sveltos book "Principles of Lasers"

Rating:
Summary: Check this out too!
Review: I also recommend Orazio Sveltos book "Principles of Lasers"

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for beginners
Review: I was looking for a good laser book tried svelto, siegman but they were written at a comparatively higher level, so I found this book, boy! what a relief. I guess the best part of the book is that the author doesn't stress too much on mathematics, electromagnetics or advanced optics. Moreover the early chapters deals with all the fundamentals required to understand lasers (that is covered in later chapters)

Bottomline: If you need a quick yet thorough introduction to lasers, this is the book.

Rating:
Summary: Buy the Second Edition!!!
Review: This book is incredible! It will take the reader with an understanding of Calculus and Differential Equations and provide them with inside to a sufficient level of science and notation (from quantum mechanics, Russell-Sauders, etc) and give you all the skills required to design a laser. I have the good fortune of taking the class from the Author, who created the first blue-helium metal vapor laser. His book is providing the insight to the lectures, so I think I could have learned it all just from the text. By the end of this text, I will have designed my first laser, and considering I had never seen one until a few weeks ago... I am fully thankful to this great book, and all the experiences that the contributor gave us. The text has sufficient derivation to see that he's not just dropping down equations, and it is combined with the many figures which explain the physics and actual test data which give you a 'feel' for what is happening. I particularly like the chapter intros that tell you where you are going, but the chapters are packed with information. This was my first formal introducion to quantum mechanics, laser design, material gain, etc. and it is definately coherent. I predict that this book will be in my collection long after my other texts have been donated to other students or colleagues, because I will not part with it.

Rating:
Summary: Experience
Review: This book is one of the best that I have read, and I have read most of them. It is clear and to the point. It is both fundamental and practical. I use it as a reference and dont care much about the small errors it may have. Its advantages far outway its small number of errors. Its not a text book, its not supposed to teach the reader quantum physics or optics. I highly recommend this book for anyone that works with lasers.
-KC, NRL