Laser

LASER
L ight
A mplification by

S timulated
E mission of

R adiation
Properties of laser
Monochromatic
Directionality
Coherence
 Spatial and
Spatial and
Temporal Temporal
Coherence Coherence:

Temporal
Coherence;
Spatial
Beams can be
Incoherence
coherent or
only partially
coherent (indeed, Spatial
even incoherent) Coherence;
in both space and Temporal
time. Incoherence

Spatial and
Temporal
Incoherence
 Coherent time

The temporal coherence time is the time the wave-fronts remain

equally spaced. That is, the field remains sinusoidal with one
wavelength:

Temporal
Coherence
Time, tc
 Coherent length
coherence length is the propagation distance from
a coherent source to a point where a wave (e.g.
an electromagnetic wave) maintains a specified degree of
coherence. Within this distance, the wave is most similar to a
perfect sinusoidal wave. The significance is that wave
interference will be strong within a coherence length of the
source
2
L tc L

Spatial
Coherence
Length
 Incandescent vs. Laser Light

1. Many wavelengths 1. Monochromatic

2. Multidirectional 2. Directional
3. Incoherent 3. Coherent
BASIC PRINCIPLE NEEDED
FOR LASER
 Stimulated Absorption

Energy is absorbed by an atom, the electrons are

excited into vacant energy shells.
Absorption

E1

E2
 Spontaneous Emission

The atom decays from level 2 to level 1 through the

emission of a photon with the energy hv. It is a
completely random process.
Spontaneous Emission
 Stimulated Emission

atoms in an upper energy level can be triggered or

stimulated in phase by an incoming photon of a specific
energy.
Stimulated Emission
 Stimulated Emission
The stimulated photons have unique properties:

In phase with the incident photon

Same wavelength as the incident photon

Travel in same direction as incident photon

Electron/Photon Interactions
WHY WE NEED META STABLE
STATE?
ANSWER IS
With having the metastable state above the
ground level. Atom reaches the meta stable
state (after first stimulated emission) can
remain there for longer time period. So the
number of atom increases in the meta stable
state. And when these atoms come back to the
original ground level it emits laser beam.
 POPULATION INVERSION
A state of a medium where a higher-lying electronic level has a
higher population than a lower-lying level
 PUMPING
The method particle of raising a particle from lower
energy state to higher energy state is called pumping.

TYPES OF PUMPING :

1. Optical pumping

2. Electrical pumping

3. X-ray pumping

4. Chemical pumping
 LASER COMPONENTS
All lasers have 3 essential components:

A lasing or "gain" medium

A source of energy to excite electrons in the gain medium

to high energy states, referred to as "pump" energy

An optical path which allows emitted photons to oscillate

and interfere constructively as energy is added or

"pumped" into the system, ie, a resonator

LASER ACTION
 Types of Laser
a.According to their sources:
1.Gas Lasers
2.Crystal Lasers
3.Semiconductors Lasers
4.Liquid Lasers
b.According to the nature of emission:
1.Continuous Wave
2.Pulsed Laser
c.According to their wavelength:
1.Visible Region
2.Infrared Region
3.Ultraviolet Region
4.Microwave Region
5.X-Ray Region
d. According to different levels
1. 2-level laser
2. 3-level laser
3. 4-level laser
e. According to mode of pumping
1. optical
2. chemical
3. electric discharge
4. electrical
 2- Level Laser
E2 E2
h h

E1 E1
Absorption Spontaneous
Emission

E2
h h h

E1
Stimulated
Emission
 THREE STEP LASER
Stimulated absorption
Spontaneous emission to the meta stable
state
Stimulated emission from meta stable state to
ground state. E2

E2 E1 E1

META STABLE STATE

E1 E0

E0
4-Level LASER
PRACTICAL LASERS
RUBY LASER

Construction
ENERGY LEVEL IN RUBY
LASER
Al2O3
4T Cr+
1

2T
2
Energy

rapid decay
4T
2
2E

LASING

4A
2
LASER ACTION IN RUBY
LASER
 HE-NE LASER
Construction
.

Energy Level Diagram of He-Ne

Energy Level Diagram of He-Ne cont
Combined Laser Action
Emission wavelengths of common
lasers
APPLICATION S OF LASER
 Not to be Taken Lightly
The Weighty Implications of Laser Technology

Medical
Optical Surgery
General Surgery
Tattoo removal

Entertainment
CD Players
Applications of DVD Players
Laser Video Game Systems
Technology Telecommunications
Information tech.
Holograms
Satellites
Military
Weapons
Radar
Industry
2017/9/20
 Can You See the Light?
Military and Space Airplanes are
aircraft are equipped equipped with Bad eyesight can be
with laser guns laser radar corrected by optical
surgery using lasers
Cd-Rom discs
are read by lasers Dentists use
laser drills

Tattoo removal is
done using lasers

Laser tech. is used in printers,

copiers, and scanners

DVD players read

DVDs using lasers
Laser pointers can
enhance
CD-Audio is presentations Bar codes in Video game systems such as
read by a laser grocery stores are PlayStation 2 utilize lasers
2017/9/20
scanned by lasers
 Einsteins Coefficients
Einstein gives a probability that stimulated
emission is same as absorption.

Means that if a stimulated absorption can

occur then there is same probability that
stimulated emission can occur.
 Equilibrium condition
In case of energy states the number of electron
absorbed and emitted should be equal or the
rate of change of numbers of atoms in two
states should be equal.

dN
0
dt
Plancks Radiation Law

8h 3
E
1
3 h
c
e kT
1
Planks gives the formula that how
a gas radiate energy.
 Spontaneous emission
A21 :- correspond to spontaneous
emission probability per unit time

This particular emission can occur

without the presence of external field
E(v)
 Stimulated Absorption
B12 :- correspond to stimulated
absorption probability per unit time

This type of absorption can occur in

presence of external field E(v) only
 Stimulated Emission
B21 :- correspond to stimulated emission
probability per unit time

This type of emission can occur in presence of

external field E(v) only
 Total Emission Probability
Spontaneous Emission + Stimulated Emission

A21 + B21 E(v)

Number of atoms that can jump from level E2 to E1 is

A21 B21E N2
Total Absorption Probability

B12E N1
 The rate of change of atoms in E2
It can be given by differentiation

dN 2
Absorption emission (probability)
dt
or

B12 E N1 A21 B21E N 2

dN 2
dt
 At Equilibrium

dN 2
0
dt
Then

B12E N1 A21 B21E N2

Emission and absorption are same

E
A21 1
B21 N1 B12
1
N B
2 21
Maxwell Bolzman Distribution
In thermal equilibrium
E1
N1 N 0 e KT

E2
N 2 N 0e KT
 So the equations become
h
N1
e kT
N2
So equation becomes

E
A21 1
h
B21 B
e
kT 12
1
B21
After comparing with Planks
Radiation Law
Units of Einstein
A21 8h 3
c3 coefficient: Joules-
B21 Sec/m3

And

B12
1
B21
 Conclusions
Stimulated emission have same probability as
stimulated absorption
Ratio between spontaneous and stimulated
emission varies with v3
All we need is to calculate one of the
probability to find others.