Products  About us   Prices  Order  Search  Potential authors  Links  Contacts  Mailing

     Books   Manuals   Reports   Videos   CD-ROMs

Code: EP17

Description

The laser, although in existence for 20 years, is still largely an unknown quantity to most people. The more conventional types of gas and liquid lasers with their industrial and medial applications have become well known if not familiar, but to date the semiconductor laser is known only through its use in optical telephone links.

The development of the semiconductor light emitting diode in the early 1970s gave a large impetus to optical techniques of industrial measurements and also created the need for engineers to acquire a knowledge of optics. What the semiconductor laser offers is a performance extension of these techniques.

The Users' Handbook has been written as an aid to removing the laser's exotic cloak and to show it as a useful circuit element. It will familiarise readers with the device, its associated terminology and many of its possible uses. Unlike many books available today it does not specialise in either device physics or fibre optic communications. While covering the subject it contains an introduction to a wide range of laser diode uses in military, professional and industrial systems. The bibliography allows readers to follow up individual interests in greater depth.

The term 'laser' has connotations of eye safety and one chapter of the book is devoted to the exact nature and degree of this hazard. Advice is given on safety handling and realistic working practices.

The Author's intention to familiarise readers with laser diodes and through specific application studies to supply sufficient indication as to whether or not their needs can be satisfied using laser diode optical techniques.