The course aims to introduce the theoretical foundations of laser operation, and their main applications in various fields (biomedical, environmental, industrial, cultural heritage). At the end of the course, the student should master the operating principles of a laser system, and be able to understand and critically evaluate a scientific article regarding the applications of laser systems.
Prerequisites
Quantum mechanics
Teaching Methods
Lectures, visits to laboratories
Type of Assessment
Oral examination. In the exam, a specialist article will be presented and discussed. The ability to understand the work and presentation skills will be assessed.
Course program
1. Introduction 2. Two-level system 3. Optical cavities 4. Types of lasers 5. Gaussian beam optics 6. Instrumentation for laser manipulation: lenses, mirrors, polarization optics (insulators, etc.), acousto-optic, electro- optics, galvanometers, optical fibers. 7. Laser applications in neuroscience: in vivo, ex vivo imaging, optogenetics 8. Laser applications in material sciences: Raman spectroscopy and SERS 9. Biomedical applications of lasers: label-free imaging of biological tissue 10. Laser applications in biophysics: tweezers optics and single molecule localization 11. Laser applications to environmental monitoring 12. Industrial applications of lasers 13. Laser applications to cultural heritage