LASER

LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATIONS

Dr. Amitesh Narayan

MPT/Ph.D

Laser: Introduction
Metastable state:
Excited electron loses energy via a state in which

the molecule/atom is very nearly stable, enabling

electrons to spend relatively long time, before

making transition to the ground state.

Laser: Introduction
Electrons may leave this metastable state
spontaneously or be triggered by a photon of precisely the same energy to fall to the ground state.

called Stimulated emission.

Laser: Stimulated Emission

Stimulated Emission allows production of Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiations (LASER)

LASER: Physical Properties

1. Monochromatic, i.e. of one wavelength only.

2. Coherent: means all the peaks and troughs of the magnetic

and electric fields occurs at the same time (temporal) and travel in the same direction (spatial).

3. Due to spatial coherence and method of laser radiation

production, LASER rays appears in a narrow, parallel beam.

LASER: Physical Properties Comparision with other rays

Non-coherent infrared and visible radiations are like a crowd of people all in different clothes, walking in different ways and out of step.

Laser radiation is like a column of soldiers all marching in step (in phase), wearing the same uniform (monochromatic) and going in exactly the same direction (spatial coherence).

LASER: Production

Lasers can be produced from solids, liquids and gases under the right conditions.

RUBY Laser
Early lasers Synthetic ruby rod, about 10 cm long and of 1 cm diameter with a xenon flash tube wound round it in a spiral fashion. Ends of the rod are flat and silvered to act as reflectors, but one is made only partially reflecting.

RUBY Laser
A powerful light flash from the xenon tube provides photons with energy to excite the molecules of the ruby rod to high energy levels.

After a very short time in the high-energy band, many

spontaneous transitions occur to a metastable state

in which the molecules remain for much longer

periods.

RUBY Laser

Helium-Neon Laser
Consist of a tube containing Helium and Neon gases at low pressure and is surrounded by a flashgun tube.

Excitation causes different energy levels between

these two atoms and a transfer of energy giving off a photon of a wavelength equal to the energy gap of 632.8 nm.

Infrared Laser

Carbon dioxide is used to provide high-

intensity (up to 20000 W) infrared lasers for

the surgical destruction of tumors.

Chemical lasers
In Chemical lasers, energy source is a chemical
reaction, are more efficient than ordinary

lasers which only convert around 2% of their

energy to laser radiation.

Organic Laser

In Organic lasers, complex organic dye is utilized, which produces radiations at a predetermined wavelength.

Semiconductor Laser
Material used are Gallium- Aluminium -Arsenide (Ga-AlAs).

Materials: Diodes.

Excitation is effected by an electric potential affecting

electron- hole pairing in the crystal lattice.

Semiconductor Laser
Stores energy in the material, which can be released in the form of identical photons.

Photons: reflected to and fro in the material, to

be ultimately emitted as a laser beam.

Semiconductor Laser

Absorption and emission of photons: (a) absorption; (b) emission; (c) stimulated emission.

Semiconductor Laser
Semiconductor Lasers are a. relatively cheap to construct, b. quite robust, c. can be made to be very small, and d. emit a predetermined wavelength by varying the relative proportions of gallium to Aluminium.

Examples of Laser

Classification of Laser