Introduction to Laser Technology

On page 104, the conversion of the beam waist radius in the "laser moon" example should be 5X10-4 m (not 5X10-6 m) and the squared term for the beam waist equation with values substituted is lacking . . . but the correct beam radius of 5X10-4 is properly there. Ultimately, the end calculation is correct, but it's a bit sad that the 4th edition of a book has such glaring errors that could confuse readers attempting to grasp the subject matter.

Good

Seemingly aimed at an undergraduate audience, this book should be approachable to a high school student who has had trigonometry. (Although a course in chemistry, or at least some introduction to atomic spectra, would be helpful.) It starts with the basics of light propagation and moves into the idea of the laser, discussing gain and resonators. Various types of control, such as q-switching and line-narrowing, are covered. Different types of lasers are discussed, as well as non-linear processes for frequency shifting.The technical discussion is kept at a very basic level, with the inevitable simplification that results. There are, unfortunately, some typos and editing errors. The discussion of laser types is tilted a bit towards excimer lasers, perhaps not surprising as J. J. Ewing was one of the developers of the technology.If you have no experience with lasers and want a straightforward book that will explain the basics, this book is a good choice. A little more attention to detail would have made it an even better book.

As a reviewer for Amazon I often get the chance to review books that I might not purchase (usually due to high costs). When I saw this book was available for review, and I read the first (and only review at that time) written by someone who actually purchased the book, I decided to request this book myself. I was mainly intrigued by the reviewer's comments that his non-technical wife was interested in some of the concepts.This book lives up to its title . . . it is a great Introduction to Laser Technology. The first chapter provides a workable definition of what a laser is, and then the chapter goes on to identify the many areas of our lives in which lasers are used. Everything in this chapter could be read and understood by an average reader.Chapter Two starts introducing the more technical aspects, including a variety of graphs and formulas which at quick glance could be intimidating--but the author clearly explains each and makes the physics of lasers understandable.My guess is that most people looking at this title need it for a college course. If not, and you are looking for an in-depth introduction to laser technology--this book would do it!

Introduction to Laser Technology is a entry level college type textbook which would probably service most Electrical Engineering freshman laser courses. The book is set up in a manner where first chapter introduces what lasers are used for and their practical applications. The next few chapters delve into the physics behind light and the properties of lasers. The second half of the book examines the various different types of lasers and chapter titles include: nonlinear optics, semiconductor lasers, solid state lasers, fiber lasers, gas lasers etc.The writing of this textbook is unique in the sense that the author frequently refers to the reader and what they might be thinking. He frequently brings up common misconceptions and goes into detail spending extra times on content that might not be super intuitive. I found this helpful in eliminating the monotony often associated with textbooks and this is easily a textbook an inquisitive and intelligent high school student could read.

This is a candidate for being the top 5 industry reference books on laser technology. Whether you are a student, professor, industry practitioner or technology aficionado there is a lot to learn from this book and it will serve as a trusted desk reference for years to come. Hitz, Ewing & Hecht speak with a experience and conviction over a broad range of topics that are well organized and easy to understand and appreciate for a rarely wide audience. I found it fairly easy to pick up the book and leaf to any chapter and start reading without having a huge amount of pre-requisite background and still get a lot of out of the details. While there are quite a few formulas and higher level math elements, this shouldn't put off potential readers... I think even high school students could get a lot out of this book and perhaps even be inspired to study in more detail in this field.

Around 2 months ago, this became the 4th book I purchased on the subject of lasers/optics since October; I was also given 2 other books by my committee advisor, and have poked through other resources in the library. As an engineering doctoral student--not a physicist--whose research includes the use of lasers, this book is by far the single best resource I have found. It doesn't grind you into boredom with too much underlying math, but rather emphasizes concepts and examples so you can quickly gain a solid intuitive foothold for understanding how lasers work.If, like me, you find it necessary to drill deeper into the math, electromagnetics, and quantum theory, there are ample resources elsewhere to help you get there... this book allows you to focus on understanding how lasers work, and does so in an interesting and very readable way. My wife (whose background is childhood education, and doesn't consider herself technically oriented) started looking at the pictures and examples in the book and asking me questions about them... she usually has absolutely no interest in my engineering textbooks.If I had to recommend a single book to start off with for someone with little or no background in laser technology, this would definitely be the one. I wish I had purchased this book first! It would have saved me a lot of time coming up to speed on the subject.