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The Laser — Trailblazer of Synergetics

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Book cover Coherence and Quantum Optics IV

Abstract

In my paper I want to discuss how a thorough theoretical study of the laser process has led us to understand basic mechanisms of self-organization in physics, chemistry, biology and other sciences. A typical laser [1] consists of a rod of active material (compare fig. 1) with two mirrors at its endfaces. The laser-active atoms of the material are pumped energetically from the outside and emit laser light through one of the mirrors. The two mirrors form a Perot-Fabry-interferometer which allows only for those modes, whose wavelengths obey the relation (fig. 2)

EquationSource% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+- % feaagCart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn % hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr % 4rNCHbWexLMBbXgBd9gzLbvyNv2CaeHbl7mZLdGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqr % pepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs % 0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-xfr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaai % aabeqaamaabaabauaakeaacaWGUbGaaGjbVlabgwSixlaaysW7cqaH % 7oaBcaGGVaGaaGOmaiaaysW7cqGH9aqpcaaMe8Uaamitaaaa!4D8B! ]]</EquationSource><EquationSource Format="TEX"><![CDATA[$$n\; \cdot \;\lambda /2\; = \;L $$

(n is an integer and L is the distance between the mirrors).

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References

  1. H. Haken, in Encyclopedia of Physics, S. FlUgge, ed. (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1970); M. Sargent, III, M.O. Scully and W.E. Lamb, Laser Physics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1974); an excellent collection of papers in Selected Papers on Coherence and Fluctuations of Light, Vols. I and II, L. Mandel and E. Wolf, eds. ( Dover Publ. Inc., New York, 1970 ).

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  2. H. Haken, Z. Physik 181, 96 (1964).

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  3. See for instance F. T. Arecchi, V. DeGiorgio in Laser Handbook, F. T. Arecchi and E. 0. Schulz-Dubois, eds. (North Holland, Amsterdam, 1972); E. R. Pike in Quantum Optics, S. M. Kay and A. Maitland, eds. ( Academic Press, London, New York, 1970 ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, West Germany

    Hermann Haken

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  1. Hermann Haken
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Rochester, 14627, Rochester, New York, USA

    Leonard Mandel  & Emil Wolf  & 

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Haken, H. (1978). The Laser — Trailblazer of Synergetics. In: Mandel, L., Wolf, E. (eds) Coherence and Quantum Optics IV. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0665-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0665-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0667-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0665-9

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