Laser acronyms

Here, is a list of acronyms used in laser physics, applications and technology.

A

*AOM – acousto-optic modulator
*APD – avalanche photodiode
*APM – additive-pulse mode locking
*ASE – amplified spontaneous emission
*AWG – arrayed waveguide grating

B

*BPP – beam parameter product

C

*CWDM – coarse wavelength division multiplexing
*CEO – carrier-envelope offset
*CPA – chirped-pulse amplification
*CW – continuous wave

D

*DBR – distributed Bragg reflector
*DCM – dispersion-compensation module or double-chirped mirror
*DFB laser – distributed feedback laser
*DFG – difference-frequency generation
*DWDM – dense wavelength division multiplexing
*DOS - density of states
*DPSS – diode pumped solid state

E

*ECDL – external cavity diode laser
*EDC – electronic dispersion compensation
*EDFA – erbium-doped fiber amplifier
*Er:YAG – , Er:Y₃Al₅O₁₂
*EOM – electro-optic modulator
*ESA – excited state absorption

F

*FEL – free electron laser
*FREAG – frequency-resolved electro-absorption gating
*FROG – frequency-resolved optical gating
*FWM – four-wave mixing

G

*GRENOUILLE – grating-eliminated no-nonsense observation of ultrafast incident laser light e-fields

H

*HeNe – Helium-neon laser

I

*IR – infrared

J

K

*KLM – Kerr-lens modelocking

L

*LASEK – Laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratectomy
*LASER – light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
*LASIK – Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (eye surgery)
*LBO – lithium triborate
*LLLT – low-level laser therapy

M

*MASER – microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
*MIIPS – multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan

N

*Nd:YAG – , Nd:Y₃Al₅O₁₂
*Nd:YCOB – , YCa₄O(BO₃)₃

O

*OC – output coupler
*OPO – optical parametric oscillator
*OPA – optical parametric amplifier / optical parametric amplification
*OPCPA – optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

P

Q

R

*SHG – second harmonic generation
*SLM – single longitudinal mode
*SPIDER – spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction
*SPM – self-phase modulation

T

*TE – transverse electric mode
*TEA – transverse electrical discharge in gas at atmospheric pressure
*TEM – transverse electromagnetic mode
*TM – transverse magnetic mode
*THG – third harmonic generation

U

*UV – ultraviolet

V

*VCSEL – vertical cavity surface-emitting laser
*VECSEL – vertical external cavity surface-emitting laser

W

*WDM – wavelength division multiplexing

X

*XPM – cross-phase modulation

Y

*YAG – yttrium aluminium garnet, Y₃Al₅O₁₂
*YAM - yttrium aluminium monoclinic
*YAP - yttrium aluminium perovskite

Z