LFU:online

Basic Knowledge on laser safety rules for experimentalists working in optics laboratory.

1. Laser Safety: Overview and motivation

2. Overview of European standards and guidelines

3. Overview of hazards when working with lasers

4. Laser classification system

5. Interaction of laser light with human eyes and skin

6. How to calculate the damage thresholds for exposure for any laser

7. Advice on how to be safer in the lab

8. Visit to running research lab in Innsbruck

Lecture with practical examples and exercises

Final examination test (written)

Course notes

No formal requirements but the students should be familiar with SI units, changing between them, and the basics of laser physics (how they are quantified) and classical optics (lenses, Gaussian beams).

Course recommended for Master students in Experimental Physics, PhD students in their first year and anyone working with lasers in Innsbruck. The course will be given in two blocks, each 4 hours long (exact times to be arranged). Before attending the class, pre-assigned reading and an excercise sheet should be done. See the associated OLAT page for details.