This Second Edition describes the basic design and operation of a variety of types of lasers. It overviews some of the traditional applications of lasers, such as laser printers and laser machining. It also describes an unconventional application of lasers: the cooling and confinement of atoms at very low temperature. Ultracold atoms have a number of possible applications that include study of Bose–Einstein condensates. The book reviews traditional Bose–Einstein condensate experiments, as well as zero-gravity experiments and experiments on quasiparticle condensates. Other applications of ultracold atoms include highly accurate atomic clocks, and their use as a time standard. This research and reference text is aimed at science and engineering professionals as well as upper level undergraduate and graduate physics students. Part of IOP Series in Coherent Sources, Quantum Fundamentals, and Applications.

Key features

• Provides an overview of the basic principles of lasers and reviews typology and operation.

• Summarizes the important applications of lasers.

• Covers the basic theory behind Bose–Einstein condensates in an accessible format.

• Summarizes historical and recent results of Bose-Einstein condensate experiments.

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Online ISBN: 978-0-7503-5482-0 • Print ISBN: 978-0-7503-5480-6