LASERS

Light Amplification by stimulated emission of radiations

Concept of Stimulated Emission given by Albert Einstein 1917

Charles H Townes utilized to build MASER 1953

Extension to optical region

Theodore H. Maiman in 1960 built first Laser utilizing concept of stimulated emission
Properties of Laser light

• Monochromaticity
high degree of monochromaticity
• Coherent
All the emitted photons bear a constant phase
relationship with each other in both time and
phase
• Directional
A very well collimated beam which travels long
distances with very little spread.
• Intense
A very highly intense beam
Interaction of Radiation with matter
Absorption Probability for absorption

𝑷𝟏𝟐 = 𝑩𝟏𝟐 𝒖 𝝂

B12 is called the Einstein

coefficient of absorption
Spontaneous Emission Probability for spontaneous emission

𝑷′𝟐𝟏 = 𝑨𝟐𝟏

A21 is called the Einstein coefficient

of Spontaneous Emission
Stimulated Emission Probability for stimulated emission

𝑷′′𝟐𝟏 = 𝑩𝟐𝟏 𝒖 𝝂

B21 is called the Einstein

coefficient of simulated
emission
Relation Between Einstein Coefficients (1)
❖ N1 and N2: number of atoms at any instant in the state 1 and 2
❖ Probability of absorption transition for number of atoms from state 1 to 2 per unit time is given by:

N1 P12 = N1 B12 u ν
❖ The total probability of transition for number of atoms from state 2 to 1, either by spontaneously or by stimulated
emission per unit time is given by:

N2 P21 = N2 𝐴21 + B21 u ν

Relation Between Einstein Coefficients (2)

❖ In thermal equilibrium at temperature T, the absorption and emission probabilities are equal and thus, we can write

N1 P12 = N2 P21

N1 B12 u ν = N2 A21 + B21 u ν

N2 A21
u ν =
N1 B12 − N2 B21

A21 1
u ν =
B21 N1 ΤN2 B12 ΤB21 − 1

A21 1
u ν = Equation (1)
B21 N1 ΤN2 − 1
Relation Between Einstein Coefficients (3)

❖ Boltzmann’s law: the distribution of atoms among the energy states E1 and E2 at the thermal equilibrium at temperature
T is given by:

𝑁1 𝑒 −𝐸1Τ𝐾𝑇 𝐸2 −𝐸1 Τ𝐾𝑇

= =𝑒
𝑁2 𝑒 −𝐸2Τ𝐾𝑇

𝑁1 K: Boltzmann constant
= 𝑒 ℎνΤ𝐾𝑇
𝑁2
❖ On using above in equation (1)

A21 1
u ν = Equation (2)
B21 𝑒 ℎνΤ𝐾𝑇 − 1
Relation Between Einstein Coefficients (3)

❖ Plank’s radiation formula yields the energy density of radiation u(ν) as:

8πhν3 1
u ν = Equation (3)
c 3 ehνΤKT − 1

❖ On comparing equations (2) and (3)

A21 8πhν3
=
B21 c3
Principle of Laser Action

The main Principle for amplifying light in a Laser system is the stimulated emission
Population Inversion
This situation in which the number of electrons in the higher state exceed that in the lower state
(N2 > N1) is known as population inversion.
Methods to obtain population inversion
Supply Energy from outside
❑ Optical Pumping : Solid state lasers energy bands excitation by Xenon flash lamp Ruby laser

❑ Electrical Pumping: Gaseous Lasers energy levels excitation by Electronic excitation He Ne Laser

❑ Chemical Pumping: Dye lasers energy excitation by exothermic chemical reaction

❑ Laser Pumping: excitation by using laser, specific mechanism, increased efficiency

Schemes for Population Inversions
❖ Two level System: Not Appropriate
❑ Two level systems with energies E1 and E2 (E2 > E1)
❑ Einstein coefficients: B12 (upward transition) = B21 (downward transition)
❑ ➔ Even with strong pumping, population distribution in upper and lower levels can only be made equal
❑ ➔ We cannot achieve population inversion
❖ Three level System

❖ Four level System

Let's visit three and four level systems in next slides

Schemes for Population Inversions: Three Level System (1)

❖ Use a third metastable level: electrons can stay for longer duration

❖ Pumping will be between the other two levels

❖ Electrons in upper energy level will quickly decay into the metastable level,
leaving the upper level practically unpopulated at all times

❖ The transition from the metastable level to the ground level has a different
frequency, which is the laser frequency

❖ The pumping frequency is between the upper level and the ground level ➔
pumping is off-resonant to the laser transition, and it will not trigger the
stimulated emission
Schemes for Population Inversions: Three Level System (2)

❖ Atoms are pumped into an excited state by an external source of energy, for
example by an electric pulse or an optical illumination

❖ In addition to this excited state (E3), the system has a metastable state (E2)

❖ Atoms from the upper level E3 decays spontaneously to this metastable state
and this transition is generally radiation less or nonradiative (the energy being
given away to the lattice)

❖ Lifetime of the electrons in the metastable state E2 is such that the rate of
spontaneous decay from the upper level E3 to the ground level (E1) is slower
than the rate at which the atoms decay from the upper level to the
metastable state, resulting in a population inversion between the metastable
level and the ground state

❖ Since the lower level involved in the lasing (population inversion) is the
ground state of the atom, the three-level system needs very high pumping
power and yields low efficiency
Schemes for Population Inversions: Four Level System

❖ Optical pumping excites the atoms from the ground state E1 to E4

❖ Atoms from this level make a fast decay (radiationless transition) to a metastable
energy level E3

❖ The population inversion of level E3 with the level E2 takes place when the
lifetime of the transition from E3 to E2 is long compared to that of E4 to E3

❖ The transition from energy level E2 to the ground state (E1) is fast just like level
E4 ➔ leads to a negligible population in the state E2 and maintains the
population inversion
Types of LASER:

❖ Solid Lasers

❖ Liquid Lasers

❖ Gas Lasers

❖ Semiconductor Lasers

Under gas lasers we will study Helium-Neon Laser

Type of LASER: Gas Lasers: Helium-Neon (1)

❖ Both ends of the tube are sealed by optically plane and parallel mirrors, one of them being partially silvered
(90% reflective) and the other one is fully silvered (100% reflective)

❖ A quartz tube is filled with a mixture of helium and neon gases in the ratio 10:1 respectively ➔ his mixture acts
as the active medium

❖ Helium is pumped up to the excited state of 20.61 eV by the electric discharge

Type of LASER: Gas Lasers: Helium-Neon (2)
❖ Excited level of He at 20.61 eV is very close to a level in Ne at 20.66 eV

❖ It is so close that upon collision of a He and a Ne atom, the energy can

be transferred from the He to the Ne atoms

❖ Thus, the excited He atoms do not return to their ground state by

spontaneously emitting photons rather they transfer their energy to
the Ne atoms through collisions

❖ Thus, the He atoms help achieving a population inversion in the Ne

atoms

❖ An excited Ne atom passes from the metastable state at 20.66 eV to

another state at 18.70 eV by emitting a photon of wavelength 6328 Å

❖ This photon travels through the gas mixture parallel to the axis of the tube and stimulates the surrounding Ne atoms present
in the metastable state ➔ this way we get other photons that are in the phase with the stimulating photons ➔ these
photons are reflected forth and back by the silvered ends and the number of photons gets amplified through stimulated
emission every time

❖ Finally, a portion of these intensified photons passes through the partially silvered end
Types of Lasers: Summary
Solid state Lasers : The active medium is solid crystal such as Ruby Nd:YAG (Nd:Y3Al5O12 ) etc

Gaseous Lasers : The active medium is Gaseous such as He-Ne laser, Co2 lasere.t.c

Dye Lasers: Macromolecules used for different laser light from single medium

Semiconductor Lasers : PN junction diode used for producing LASER

Advantages & Disadvantages:
Angular Spread & Intensity:

❖ High degree of collimation is due to the geometrical design of the laser cavity and to the fact that stimulated emission
process produces twin photons

❖ A specific cavity design is shown, where the angular spread of a beam is signified by the angle ϴ

❖ In fact, the cavity mirrors are shaped with concave surfaces towards the cavity ➔ this way the reflecting light is focused back
into the cavity, which finally forms a beam waist of radius ro at one position in the cavity

2ϴ = 0.637 λ /ro
P P
I= =
A π ro 2
Applications of Lasers

❖ Laser beams are very intense so are used for welding, cutting of materials

❖ Lasers are used for eye surgery, treatment of dental decay and skin diseases

❖ Lasers are used for barcode scanners in library and in super markets

❖ Laser is used in printers (Laser printers)

❖ Lasers are used for Nuclear Fusion

❖ Laser are used in CD/DVD Player

❖ Laser is used in Holography