Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy & Non-linear

Aims and objectives

This unit will provide:

• A detailed understanding of the structure of atoms and molecules.
• An understanding of the main non-linear interactions between light and matter and their applications.

Teaching methods

Assessment

Content

Spectroscopy:

• One-electron atoms.
• Schrödinger equation, bound states, energy eigenfunctions.
• Transition rates, Einstein co-efficients, selection rules.
• Fine structure, hyperfine structure.
• Stark shift, Zeeman shift, isotope shift.
  
  

Beyond one-electron atoms:

• Schrödinger equation for two-electron atoms, Pauli exclusion principle.
• Central field approximation, selection rules.
  
  

Molecular structure:

• Diatomic molecules.
• Rotational and vibrational states.
• Electronic and nuclear spins
  
  

Spectroscopic properties:

• Natural linewidth, doppler broadening, collisional broadening.
• Homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening, power broadening.
• Saturation, optical pumping.
  
  

Laser spectroscopic methods:

• Raman spectroscopy, time-resolved spectroscopy, coherence spectroscopy.
• Molecular beams, collisions.
  
  

Non-linear spectroscopy:

• Hole burning, Lamb dip, saturation spectroscopy.
• Polarisation spectroscopy, multiphoton spectroscopy.
  
  

Laser trapping and cooling:

• Radiation pressure, optical dipole force, magnetic and optical traps.
• Sub-doppler cooling, atom optics, evaporative cooling.
• Bose-Einstein condensation.
  
  

Non-linear optics:

• Anisotropic polarisability of atoms and molecules: susceptibility tensor.
• Crystallographic and optic axes of crystalline optical materials.
• Second harmonic generation.
• Phase matching: types I and II.
• Index matching in uniaxial crystals.
• Critical and non-critical phase matching.
• Optical parametric oscillators, signal and idler beams.
• Non-linear effects in optical fibres.
• Harmonic generation, four wave mixing, NL refraction.
• Stimulated inelastic scattering (Raman and Brillouin).
• Self-phase modulation.