PHY 110 Engineering Physics

Lecture 3
UNIT 2 – laser
Lasers and applications:
• Fundamentals of laser- energy levels in atoms
• Radiation matter interaction
• Absorption of light
• Spontaneous emission of light
• Stimulated emission of light
• Population of energy levels
• Einstein A and B coefficients
• Metastable state
• Population inversion,
• Resonant cavity
• Excitation mechanisms
• Nd – YAG
• He-Ne Laser
• Semiconductor Laser
• lasing action
• Properties of laser
• Applications of laser: holography
 Ratio of stimulated emission rate to spontaneous
emission rate
Ratio of stimulated emission rate to induced absorption
rate
Will give us an Idea about what we need to realize
LASER
To have LASER action dominant Stimulated emission is required
and for that we have to have high R1 and R2

1. Population inversion

2. High photon density

3. Increase the life time

1. POPULATION INVERSION by Pumping

2. LARGE PHOTON DENSITY () using Optical resonant cavity
3. LONG LIFE TIME IN THE EXCITED STATE: by introducing Metastable state
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4

Which scientist first came up with the idea of stimulated

emission ?
a) Alexander Graham Bell
b) Isaac Newton
c) Arthur Schalow
d) Albert Einstein

Ansr: D

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5

Einstein coefficient B12 for the absorption transition is

equal to B21 of the stimulated transition .. Means?

a) When atoms are placed in a radiation field probability upward

transition is more
b) When atoms are placed in a radiation field probability
downward transition is more
c) Probability for downward and upward transition are equal
d) None of the above

Ansr: C

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 COMPONENTS OF LASER

1. Active medium- metastable state to reduce A21

2. Pump- population inversion to realize N2>>N1
3. Optical resonant cavity- confinement of photons to increase 

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 COMPONENTS OF LASER

1. ACTIVE MEDIUM

When energy is given to laser medium (solid, liquid or gas), only a small fraction
of laser medium shows lasing action. This part of laser medium is called active
medium or active centre. Thus, due to this reason, the laser medium is also called
the heart of a laser.
No active medium ..no metastable state or LASER
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 COMPONENTS OF LASER
8

2. PUMP
Laser pumping is the act of energy transfer from an external
source into the laser medium. The energy is absorbed in the active
medium, producing excited states in its atoms continuously and
population inversion is maintained always

Pump: agency which supply energy

 Optical pumping- for solid state
medium
 Electric field- for gas medium
 Chemical

No pumping ..no population inversion or LASER

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 PRINCIPAL PUMPING SCHEMES
9

2 Level LASER 3 Level LASER 4 Level LASER

Not possible to get High pumping power Low pumping power

LASER Pulsed laser Continuous laser
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 COMPONENTS OF LASER

10

3. OPTICAL RESONANT CAVITY

Electronic oscillator- an amplifier with a +ve feed back.. Source of electrical signal at low frequency

Laser: also an amplifier..an optical amplifier..

Source of coherent, collimated, high intense
electromagnetic radiation at high frequencies

Amplification happens in the active medium and feed back is provided by the optical
cavity. A pair of optically plane parallel mirror forms optical resonant cavity also
known as Fabry-Perot resonator.

No resonant cavity.. no +ve feed back or no amplification of light or LASER

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 COMPONENTS OF LASER
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3. OPTICAL RESONANT CAVITY

Role of optical resonant cavity

1.Positive feed back to the lasing medium

2.Set its optic axis as the direction of laser beam
3.Select and amplify only certain frequencies
4.Suppress undesired transitions.., reduce noise

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12

The resonating cavity in a laser helps

(a) Create population inversion

(b) Create an amplified, coherent laser beam
(c) To create three-level laser system
(d) None of these

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13

A laser requires mirrors because

(a) They provide optical feedback
(b) They invert the population
(c) They determine the wavelength of lasing
(d) They perform nothing mentioned above

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 Excitation mechanisms
14

The excitation mechanism is the mechanism to create population

inversion.

 Depending on the source of energy that raises the atoms in the

active medium into their excited state, excitation mechanism in
lasers vary.
 Source of energy used depends on the type of material of
lasing medium

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 Excitation mechanisms
15

 Excitation by photons→→ for solid active medium

 Excitation by Electric discharge→→mostly for gaseous active
medium
 Chemical reaction→→exothermic reaction used to raise the
energy of the atoms (Excimer Lasers)
 Nuclear→→high energy neutrons from nuclear rector is used to
excite atoms
Laser medium
(Host + active centers)

Source energy (pump)

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 LASING ACTION
16

 Initially active centers are at ground

state
By pumping we excite and reach
Population inversion
Mirrors account for high 
Spontaneous emission, stimulated
emission, photon multiplication, light
amplification all happens
Only wavelength that was defined by
the cavity dimension survive and
LASER beam comes out

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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
17

Important characteristics of the laser beam’s are

Coherence
Monochromaticity
Collimation
 Directionality
 Negligible divergence
 High intensity

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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
18

1. Coherence
Identical photon emitted through
stimulated emission are in phase
with each other..

Responsible for amplification by Coherence length: Distance up to which

phase remains same..Eg..
interference…. Na lamp ~ 0.3 mm
He-Ne Laser~100 mm

Normal light source are highly incoherent.. Photons are out of

phase with each other..

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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
19

2. Monochromaticity
Electromagnetic radiation (light) of with single wavelength.

In traditional monochromatic source: variation in () ~ 100Å -1000Å

But with laser light source: : variation in () <10Å

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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
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3. Collimation

3.1 Directionality
• Cylindrical resonant cavity ensure light parallel to the cavity
axis, so LASER light source emit light only in one direction

• But conventional light emit uniformly in all directions.. See what

happens when we try to give it some direction by using lens and
reflectors.. Like in torch
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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
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3.2 Negligible divergence

Conventional sources spread light in LASER source light propagates in the form of
the form of spherical wave front and plane wave front and hence very less divergent.
hence highly divergent If at all it exist it is due to the diffraction at the
exit window.

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 PROPERTIES OF LASER
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3.3 High intensity

Intensity of the light from LASER source almost remains

constant but the intensity of light from conventional sources
decreases rapidly with distance..

Intensity of the LASER beam is given by

Where P is the power radiated by the laser and  the

wavelength

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23

Important characteristics of the laser beam’s are

a) Coherence
b) Monochromaticity
c) Collimation
d) All of the above
e) None of the above

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