Abstract
In this introductory chapter, the fundamental processes and the main ideas behind laser operation are introduced in a very simple way. The properties of laser beams are also briefly discussed. The main purpose of this chapter is thus to introduce the reader to many of the concepts that will be discussed later on, in the book, and therefore help the reader to appreciate the logical organization of the book.
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One should note that, as a quasi-3-level laser becomes progressively closer to a pure 3-level laser, the assumption that the ground state population is changed negligibly by the pumping process will eventually not be justified. One should also note that in fiber lasers, where very intense pumping is readily achieved, the ground state can be almost completely emptied.
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Svelto, O. (2010). Introductory Concepts. In: Principles of Lasers. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1302-9_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1302-9_1
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Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1301-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1302-9
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