PHYS426 LASERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
| Course Code: | 2300426 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 5.0 |
| Department: | Physics |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Prof.Dr. HAKAN ALTAN |
| Offered Semester: | Once in several years. |
Course Objectives
Lasers and Their Applications will teach you fundamental concepts and tools that will be necessary for a better understanding of how lasers are used in many applications areas such as, industry, medicine, defense and telecommunications. At the end of this course you will have a better understanding of the following topics:
- Pulsed and CW lasers
- Spectroscopy using lasers
- Imaging using lasers
- Material processing using lasers
The information you will learn in this course will form a basis upon which you will build up new blocks in the future. The topics above are broad and cannot be covered in a one semester course so we will focus on specific examples which will aid your understanding of the subject matter.
Course Content
Laser principles and properties; laser spectroscopy; measurement with laser; isotope separation with laser; laser fusion; LIDAR; laser communications; laser as a heat source; holography.
Course Learning Outcomes
Student, who passed the course satisfactorily will be able to:
- learn what are the fundamental prarameters of CW and Pulsed lasers which make them so attractive in many applications
- learn how these fundamental parameters depend on physical properties of the laser
- learn modulation techniques such as electro- and acousto-optic modulation
- learn the fundamental parameters important to Q-switched and mode-locked lasers
- learn spectroscopy techniques such as Doppler Free Spectroscopy, Absorption Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy
- learn advanced spectrsocopy techniques such as optical frequency combs
- learn imaging applications such as Speckle Imaging, LIDAR, Holography, and Confocal Imaging
- learn about how lasers are used in communications such as fiber optic communications, free space communications
- learn about spatial and position based measurements techniques using lasers such as gyroscopes
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Can understand, model and analyze the fundamental physical processes of nature. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Can suggest mathematical models to problems they face and solve them by various (approximate/analytical/numerical) approaches. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Can use basic measurement devices; can choose and apply the best measurement technique. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Can adequately record their observations, e.g., in a lab book. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Can design and carry out experiments. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Can access scientific information sources. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Can critically analyze and contribute to scientific information. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Can present scientific information clearly. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Can analyze systems that contain probabilistic parts; can do error analysis. | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Has the basic programming skills; can solve a simple physical problem or can simulate one with an appropriate language they choose. | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Can actively and skillfully conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Can produce new ideas and products by using their background in physics. | ✔ | |||
| 13 | Can systematically design, evaluate, and implement a strategy to respond to an existing problem. | ✔ | |||
| 14 | Is effective in oral and written communication skills by using both Turkish and English languages. | ✔ | |||
| 15 | Can do leadership and take initiative. | ✔ | |||
| 16 | Tries to find physics based solutions to the problems of the world that we live in. | ✔ | |||
| 17 | Obeys the ethical rules in the workplace and the society and ascertains that they are obeyed by others. | ✔ | |||
| 18 | Can use the digital communication and computation tools in the most efficient and effective way. | ✔ | |||
| 19 | Can effectively use the knowledge and skills they gained in physics, in observing, analyzing, modeling and solving other societal problems. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution