EE524 HW#7

Due: November 5, 2019

1. Here are some interesting facts. The temperature at the surface of the Sun [basically a huge
ball of hydrogen atoms, simplistically speaking] is about 10,000 Fahrenheit (5,600 Celsius). The
temperature rises from the surface of the Sun inward towards the very hot center of the Sun
where it reaches about 27,000,000 Fahrenheit (15,000,000 Celsius). The temperature of the Sun
also rises from the surface outward into the solar atmosphere. The uppermost layer of the solar
atmosphere, called the corona, reaches temperatures of millions of degrees. The corona is the
bright halo of light that can be seen during a total solar eclipse.
Using the notes on inhomogeneous broadening due to the Doppler effects, calculate the
linewidth D of the spectral line associated with the 2P-1S transition in hydrogen.
Note: The mass M of hydrogen is ~1.67 x 10-27 kg, and, for simplicity in calculation, the
transition frequency o~5x1014 /sec

2. What is the homogeneous linewidth for this transition? Note: You need to find out the
radiative lifetime or spontaneous emission rate from the 2P state.

3. Consider a gaseous medium (n = 1) of two-level atoms that is homogenously broadened due to

spaontaneous emission from the upper state. The normalized lineshape function is given by:

where  = 2 GHz and 0 = 5x1014 Hz.

A monochromatic laser at a frequency  and an intensity I = 1 Watt/cm2 is incident on the
system.
(a) Calculate the induced transition rate Wi for the on resonance case when  = 0
(b) Calculate the induced transition rate Wi for the slightly off- resonance case when  =
0+1GHz.
2

Spontaneous
transition

4. A monochromatic laser of tunable frequency close to the resonance frequency of the atomic
system is propagating through a gas cell containing the 2-level atoms described in 1. Given that
the number density of the atoms is 1010/cc, and all of them are in the excited state, i.e. i.e. N2 =
1010/cc.
a) Calculate the small signal gain constant  experienced by the laser at resonance 21
b) How much will the gain constant be reduced if the frequency of the laser is off resonance by
an amount four times the linewidths, i.e. 

5. Using the equations (5.5-1) and (5.5-2) given in the notes for the imaginary part and real part
of the susceptibility, ’’and ’respectively, obtain the explicit expressions for the phase
delay k and the gain constant  given in (5.4-21) and (5.4.22), respectively.