The document provides clear illustrative examples with well-designed exercises that illustrate the techniques of averaging and filtering noise. This compact document was designed to help students explore a single concept modeled by a single equation, the equation for the light output of a laser. Instructors who want to provide students with a basic understanding of how the intensity of a laser beam depends on the length of the laser cavity, the active medium, and the reflectivity of the cavity mirrors will find this document very useful. To use the document effectively students should know the basis of lasing action. The document then guides students to the mathematical expression for the output laser intensity as a function of time.
Students next explore the affect of various parameters on the output laser light intensity.
There are ample exercises imbedded in the document and also opportunities for writing explanations of observations on the calculations. The document would also be useful as a classroom instructional tool followed by practice as homework. A short essay for instructors accompanies the document. Zielinski, Theresa Julia. All rights reserved.