Lasers as Spectroscopic Light Sources

Abstract

In this chapter we summarize basic laser concepts with regard to their applications in spectroscopy. A sound knowledge of laser physics with regard to passive and active optical cavities and their mode spectra, the realization of single-mode lasers, or techniques for frequency stabilization will help the reader to gain a deeper understanding of many subjects in laser spectroscopy and to achieve optimum performance of an experimental setup. Of particular interest for spectroscopists are the various types of tunable lasers, which are discussed in Sect. 5.7. Even in spectral ranges where no tunable lasers exist, optical frequency-doubling and mixing techniques may provide tunable coherent radiation sources, as outlined in Sect. 5.8.