The practical courses include the following experiments:

Experiments for the undergraduate programm:

1. DPSSL: Diode-pumped solid-state-laser

Topics: Optical pumping with diode laser, absorption, fluorescence & stimulated emission, laser-resonator, laser characteristics, cw laser-operation, second harmonic generation.

2. KLI: Short light pulses

Difference 3- & 4-niveau system, free running- & q-switched laser-operation, electro-optical q-switch, LIBS, travel time measurement of laser pulses in optical fibers, energy measurements & efficiency considerations.

3. Nd:YAG: Drilling and engraving

Safety & security considerations in laser technology. accusto-optical q-switch, laser pulses with different repetition frequencies, drilling of different metals, engraving of metallic and non-metallic surfaces.

Experiments for the graduate programm:

4. NLO: Non-linear optics

Nichtlineare Prozesse 2. Ordnung: Frequenzverdoppelung, sum-frequency generation, parametric oscillator, critical phase-matching, conversion efficiency.

5. M²: Spatial characterization of laser radiation

Determination of the beam parameter product of a He-Ne- and a diode-laser in 2 dimensions, spatial diffraction limit, non-linear fitting.

6. UKLI: Ultrashort light pulses

Measurement of a fs-oscillator, spectral width of a laser pulse, temporal diffraction limit, chirp, intensity auto-correlation of laser pulses

7. LMB: Vergleichende ns- ps- Lasermaterialbearbeitung

Determination of the ablation threshold with ns- & ps- laser pulses, structuring & analysis with confocal microscopy