Laser acronyms

This is a list of acronyms and other initialisms used in laser physics and laser applications.

This list is incomplete; you can help by . (August 2008)

A[]

• AOM – acousto-optic modulator
• AOPDF – acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter
• APD – avalanche photodiode
• APM – additive-pulse mode locking
• ASE – amplified spontaneous emission
• ATD –
• ATI – above threshold ionization
• AWG – arrayed waveguide grating

B[]

• BPP – beam parameter product

C[]

• CD-ROM – compact disc read-only memory
• CEO –
• CEP – carrier-envelope phase
• CPA – chirped-pulse amplification
• CW – continuous wave
• CWDM – coarse wavelength division multiplexing

D[]

• DBR – distributed Bragg reflector
• DCM – or double-chirped mirror
• DFB laser – distributed feedback laser
• DFG –
• DIAL – differential absorption LIDAR
• DOG –
• DOS – density of states
• DPSS – diode pumped solid state
• DWDM – dense wavelength division multiplexing

E[]

• ECDL –
• EDC –
• EDFA – erbium-doped fiber amplifier
• Er:YAG – erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet, Er:Y₃Al₅O₁₂
• EOM – electro-optic modulator
• ESA –

F[]

• FEL – free electron laser
• FREAG –
• FROG – frequency-resolved optical gating
• FROG-CRAB –
• FWM – four-wave mixing
• FP – Fabry-Perot laser

G[]

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

H[]

• HeNe – helium–neon laser
• HHG – high harmonic generation

I[]

• IR – infrared

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
• LiDAR – light detection and ranging
• LLLT – low-level laser therapy

M[]

• MASER – microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
• MIIPS – multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan
• MOPA – master oscillator power amplifier

N[]

• Nd:YAG – neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet, Nd:Y₃Al₅O₁₂
• Nd:YCOB – neodymium-doped YCOB, YCa₄O(BO₃)₃

O[]

• OC – output coupler
• OPO – optical parametric oscillator
• OPA – optical parametric amplifier / optical parametric amplification
• OPCPA –

P[]

• PI – population inversion

R[]

• RABBIT –
• REMPI – resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization

S[]

• 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
• THG – third harmonic generation
• Ti:Sapph – Ti-sapphire laser
• TM – transverse magnetic mode

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
• XPW – cross-polarized wave generation

Y[]

• YAG – yttrium aluminium garnet, Y₃Al₅O₁₂
• YAM –
• YAP –