LASER

Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of Radiation

BY

DR. SRIDHARBABU YARRAMANENI

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND APPLIED SCIENCES
LINGAYA’S UNIVERSITY
FARIDABAD - 121002
 LASER: CONTENTS
• Spontaneous emission
• Stimulated emission
• Laser action
 Pumping
 Population inversion
• Characteristics of laser beam
 Concepts of coherence
Spatial coherence
Temporal coherence
• Solid state laser: ruby laser
• Gas laser : He-Ne laser
• Applications
Laser: Spontaneous and Stimulated Emissions
E2 E2

hν hν
hν
hν =E2-E1
E1 E1

absorption Spontaneous Stimulated

emission
emission
 Laser: Laser Action
A schematic illustration of the steps leading to laser action.
(a) The Boltzmann population of states, with more atoms in the ground state.
(b) When the initial state absorbs, the populations are inverted (the atoms are
pumped to the excited state).
(c) A cascade of radiation then occurs, as one emitted photon stimulates
another atom to emit, and soon. The radiation is coherent (phases in step).
 Laser: Laser Action
The excited state is populated while the cavity is non resonant. Then the
resonance characteristics are suddenly restored, and the stimulated
emission emerges in a giant pulse.
 Laser: Laser Action
A summary of the features needed for efficient laser action.
 Laser: Characteristics of Laser Beam
Laser light has three unique characteristics, that make it different
than "ordinary" light. It is:
Monochromatic
Directional
Coherent
 Monochromatic means that it consists of one single color or
wavelength. Even through some lasers can generate more than
one wavelength, the light is extremely pure and consists of a very
narrow spectral range.
 Directional means that the beam is well collimated (very
parallel) and travels over long distances with very little spread.
 Coherent means that all the individual waves of light are moving
precisely together through time and space, i.e. they are in phase.
 Laser: Coherence
Coherence is the degree to which electromagnetic radiation maintains a near-
constant phase relationship, both temporally and spatially. The time over which
the phase relationship remains nearly constant is called the Coherence time (tc).
Temporal Coherence
 Temporal coherence is a measure of the correlation between the phases of a
light wave at different points along the direction of propagation.
• Temporal coherence tells us how monochromatic a source is.
 Let the source emits waves with wavelength λ±dλ. Waves with wavelength
λ and λ+dλ, which at some point in space constructively interfere, will
destructively interfere after some optical path length lc. lc is called the
coherence length.
• The wave pattern travels through space with speed c.
The coherence time tc = lc/c. also tc = 1/dω.
Spatial Coherence
 Spatial coherence is a measure of the correlation between the phases of a
light wave at different points transverse to the direction of propagation.
Spatial coherence tells us how uniform the phase of the wave front is.
 Laser: Solid State Laser (Ruby Laser)

• Discovered in 60-ies of the

20th century.
• Ruby (Al2O3) monocrystal,
Cr doped.
Laser: Solid State Laser (Ruby Laser)
Laser: Solid State Laser (Ruby Laser)
Laser: Solid State Laser (Ruby Laser)
Optical pumping: 510 – 600 nm and 360 – 450 nm.
Fast transition on 2E.
Lasing: 2E on 4A2

Al2O3
Cr+
4
F1

Energy
4
F2
2
E

LASING 6943 0A
4
A2
 Laser: Gas laser (He-Ne laser)
 The pumping (of the neon) depends on a
coincidental matching of the helium and neon
energy separations, so excited He atoms can
transfer their excess energy to Ne atoms during a
collision.
 The pumping (of the neon) depends on a
coincidental matching of the helium and neon
energy separations, so excited He atoms can
transfer their excess energy to Ne atoms during a
collision.
Laser: Gas laser (He-Ne laser)
The transitions involved in a helium-neon laser.