Materialwissenschaft und Nanotechnologie

Introduction to Lasers
Dr. Andrs Lasagni Lehrstuhl fr Funktionswerkstoffe Sommersemester 2007
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1-Introduction to LASER
Contents:
Light sources LASER definition Properties of LASER light History of the LASER The wave-particle-duality Atomic transitions Inversion of energy levels Stimulated emission Types of Lasers Market for Laser Applications

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Light sources

Sun

Flashlight
Light source Sun 100 W Filament-lamp He-Ne- Laser CO2 Laser Pulsed Laser Light Power 1026 Watt 3 Watt 1 mWatt 60 Watt 1 GWatt

L.A.S.E.R.
Power density 5 x 102 W/cm 10-2 W/cm 4 x 104 W/cm 5 x 106 W/cm 1014 W/cm Saarland University Saarland University

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LASER definition

LIGHT AMPLIFICATION by STIMULATED EMISSION of RADIATION

Licht Verstrkung durch stimulierte Emission von Strahlung

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Properties of LASER light

Monochromaticity:

Nearly monochromatic light

Example: He-Ne Laser Diode Laser

0 = 632.5 nm = 0.2 nm

0 = 900 nm = 10 nm
Comparison of the wavelengths of red and blue light

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Properties of LASER light

Directionality:

) Divergence angle (d)

Conventional light source

Beam divergence:
D = beam diameter
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d= /D

~ 1 = f(type of light amplitude distribution, definition of beam diameter) = wavelenght

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Properties of LASER light

Coherence:

Incoherent light waves

Coherent light waves

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Properties of laser light

Laser light cannot: be perfectly monochromatic be perfectly directional have perfect coherence However Laser light is far more coherent than light from any other source.

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History of the LASER

Invented in 1958 by Charles Townes (Nobel prize in Physics 1964) and Arthur Schawlow of Bell Laboratories

Was based on Einsteins idea of the particlewave duality of light, more than 30 years earlier Originally called MASER (m = microwave)
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History of the LASER

The first patent (1958)

MASER = Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation The MASER is similar to the LASER but produced only microwaves

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Outline history of the development of the LASER

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The wave-particle-duality
Particles have a momentum The momentum can be also classified by the wavelength

Louis de Broglie(1923) :

= h/ mv = h/p

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Energy is quantized
To raise an electron from one energy level to another, input energy is required When falling from one energy level to another, there will be an energy output given by the Plancks law

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Atomic transitions
Almost all electronic transitions that occur in atoms that involve photons fall into one of three categories:

Stimulated absorption

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Atomic transitions

Spontaneous emission Energy of the emitted photon =

Stimulated emission 1 Photon with with the same energy produces two photons

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Atomic transitions
The frequency of the emitted photon going from Level 2 to 1 is given by: Level 2

E2 E1 h

E2 E1 = h

Defining Ni as the electron population of level i and considering the Boltzman equation which describes the relation between the electrons in level 1 and 2 at thermal equilibrium:
E E1 N 2 N1 = exp 2 k BT

Level 1

(kB = Boltzman constant)

giving that E2> E1 and T>0 => N1>N2!

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Atomic transitions
To amplify light, the stimulated emission must by stronger than the absorption (N2>N1) but how is this possible??? An electromagnetic wave with frequency traveling in z-direction through the media with 2 atom levels is normally exponentially absorbed:
I = I 0 exp( z )

> 0 is the lineal Absorption coefficient.

It can be demonstrated that N1-N2 > 0 The amplification of light is only possible if N1-N2 < 0 (=> < 0) That means THE MEDIA IS ACTIVE!

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Inversion of energy levels

E
3 2 1 0

E E1 N 2 N1 = exp 2 k BT

N 2 N1 < 0

Population density (N)

3 2 1 0

N = N 2 N1 > 0

E = h = hc /

Population density (N)

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Inversion of energy levels

One solution to this problem is to use three energy levels (example He-Ne laser):

2 >3 2 long 1 short

N 2 > N1!!!
meta-stable level

E3 3

Level 3 relaxation

E 2 ( N 2 > N1 )

Level 2 Laser light

Pumping electrons to E3

1
Level 0 Helium
E1 ( N1 )

Level 1 Neon
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Stimulated emission
Now N2> N1 , however we must amplify the intensity of our beam! We must build a LASER resonator!

Mirror 1 What can we do to obtain the LASER beam?

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Mirror 2

However, with this set-up the intensity will grow up to infinite!

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Elements of a laser
Totally reflecting mirror R = 100 % Excitation mechanism Partially reflecting mirror R < 100 %

Active medium

Laser beam

Excitation mechanism Laser optical cavity

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Excitation mechanisms
Optical pumping (flash lamps or other lasers)

Generally used with dye-lasers and solid-state lasers Cylindrical quartz tubes with metal electrodes mounted on the ends, filled with a gaseous species A voltage is applied across the electrodes of the flashlamp current flows through the gas produced populating excited levels of the atoms intense light emission. The process is similar to that of electron excitation of lasers except that a population inversion is not produced and the radiating material of the lamp radiates via spontaneous emission Functional Materials Functional Materials Saarland University Saarland University

Active medium
Atoms: helium-neon (HeNe) laser; heliumcadmium (HeCd) laser, copper vapor lasers (CVL) Molecules: carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, ArF and KrF excimer lasers, N2 laser Liquids: organic dye molecules dilutely dissolved in various solvent solutions Dielectric solids: neodymium atoms doped in YAG or glass to make the crystalline Nd:YAG or Nd:glass lasers Semiconductor materials: gallium arsenide, indium phosphide crystals.
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Energy balance

Energy balance in an optically pumped solidstate laser system. The percentages are fractions of the electrical energy supplied to the lamp

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Types of Lasers
Gas Lasers Solid State Lasers Semiconductor Lasers Excimer Lasers etc etc
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Solid State Lasers

Nd:YAG Laser: = 1.064 m
YAG = YttriumAluminium-Garnet (Y3Al5O12), it is transparent and colourless. Nd:YAG Laser is doped with about 1% Nd3+ ions into the YAG crystal. The crystal color then changed to a light blue color.

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Solid State Lasers

Ruby Laser: = 694.3 nm
First laser invented (1960). Ruby: Al2O3 in which some of the Al atoms have been replaced with Cr. Cr gives its characteristic red color and is responsible for the lasing behavior of the crystal. Cr atoms absorb green and blue light and emit or reflect only red light.

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Laser technological processes

Micromachining 109 Shock processing Vaporization

Laser power flux (W/cm2)

Vapor Drilling Cutting

Vaporization and melting

106 Liquid Heating

Melting

Welding

Melting

103 10-9 10-7 10-5

Stereolithography 10-3 10-1

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Worldwide nondiode-laser sales by application

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Methods of cutting

The gas is needed both to aid the cutting operation and to protect the optic from spatter

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