Unit I - SVCK - Laser
Unit I - SVCK - Laser
Syllabus:-
Characteristics of laser – spontaneous and stimulated emission of radiation – Einstein’s coefficients -
population inversion – excitation mechanism and optical resonator – Nd:YAG laser –He-Ne laser –
semiconductor diode laser – applications of lasers.
3. Characteristic of laser
Th The laser light exhibits some peculiar properties than compare with the convectional light. Those are
Highly directionality
Highly monochromatic
Highly intense
Highly coherence
Highly directionality
The light ray coming ordinary light source travels in all directions, but laser light travels in single
direction.
For example the light emitted from torch light travels 1km distance it spreads around 1 km wide.
But the laser light spreads a few centimetres distance even it travels lacks of kilometre distance.
Highly intense
Laser light is highly intense than the convectional light.
one mill watt He-Ne laser is highly intense than the sun intensity
when two photons each of amplitude are in phase with other; the resultant amplitude of two photons
is 2a and the intensity is 4a2
in laser much number of photons are in phase with each other, the amplitude of the resulting wave
becomes na and hence the intensity of laser is proportional to n2a2
So 1mW He-Ne laser is highly intense than the sun
Highly coherence
Coherence is the property of the wave being in phase with itself and also with another wave over a
period of time, and space or distance. There are two types of coherence
Temporal coherence
Spatial coherence.
For laser radiation all the emitted photons are in phase, the resultant radiation obeys spatial and
temporal coherence.
Temporal coherence (or longitudinal coherence):-
The predictable correlation of amplitude and phase at one point on the wave train w .r. t another
point on the same wave train, then the wave is said to be temporal coherence.
4. Stimulated absorption
Let E1 and E2 are the energies and N1 and N2 are the number of atoms per unit volume of ground and
excited states and ρ(ʋ) be the density of photon density.
Suppose, if a photon of energy E2 E1 h interacts with an atom present in the ground state, the atom
gets excitation form ground state to excited state by absorbing the photon energy.
It is the process of excitation of atom into excited state from ground state by absorbing the incident
photon.
Stimulated absorption rate depends upon the number of atoms available in the lowest energy state as well
as the energy density photons.
Stimulated absorption rate ∝ N1
∝ 𝜌 (ʋ)
∝ 𝜌(ʋ) N1
=B12 𝜌(ʋ) N1
Where B12 is known as Einstein coefficient of stimulated absorption
Dr. P. SREENIVASULU REDDY www.engineeringphysics.weebly.com 2
ENGINEERING PHYSICS UNIT I - LASERS SV COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, KADAPA
5. Spontaneous emission
Spontaneous emission was postulated by Bohr.
The excited atom does not stay in a long time in the excited state.
The lifetime of excited atom in higher state E2 is up to 10-8 seconds.
After the life time of the excited atom, gets de-excited into ground by emitting a photon of energy
E2 E1 h.
It is the process of de-excitation of atom itself into ground state after its life time from excited
state by emitting a photon
Spontaneous emission rate ∝ N2
= A21 N2
Where A21 is known as Einstein coefficient of spontaneous emission
Characteristics of spontaneous emitted radiation
The emitted radiation is poly-monochromatic
The emitted radiation is Incoherent
The emitted radiation is less intense
The emitted radiation has less directionality
Example: light from sodium or mercury lamp
6. Stimulated emission
Stimulated emission was postulated by Einstein.
Let, a photon of energy E2 E1 h interacts with the excited atom with in their life time; the atom gets
de-excitation into ground state by emitting of additional photon.
It is the process of de-excitation of atom into ground state from excited state by interacting with
an additional photon within its life time by emitting of an additional photon.
Stimulated emission rate depends upon the number of atoms available in the excited state as well as the
energy density of photons.
Stimulated emission rate ∝ N2
∝ρ
∝ N2 ρ
=B21 N2 ρ
Where B21 is known as Einstein coefficient of stimulated emission
8. Einstein coefficients
It establishes the relation between the three coefficients i.e. stimulated absorption, spontaneous
emission, and stimulated emission coefficients
Let N1 be the number of atoms per unit volume with energy E1 and N 2 be the number of atoms per unit
volume with energy E2 and be the the density of photons. When the photons interact with ground
level atoms, both upward (absorption) and downward (emission) transition occurs.
At the equilibrium the upward transitions must be equal downward transitions.
Upward transition
Stimulated absorption rate depends upon the number of atoms available in the lowest energy state as well
as the energy density photons.
Stimulated absorption rate N1
B12 N1
Where B12 is the Einstein coefficient of stimulated absorption.
Downward transition
The spontaneous emission rate depends up on the number of atoms present in the excited state.
Spontaneous emission rate N 2
A21N 2
Where A21 is the Einstein coefficient of spontaneous emission.
Stimulated emission rate depends upon the number of atoms available in the excited state as well as the
energy density of photons.
Stimulated emission rate N 2
Dr. P. SREENIVASULU REDDY www.engineeringphysics.weebly.com 4
ENGINEERING PHYSICS UNIT I - LASERS SV COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, KADAPA
B21N2
Where B21 is the Einstein coefficient of stimulated emission.
If the system is in equilibrium the upward transitions must be equal downward transitions.
𝐵12 𝑁1 𝜌(𝜐) = 𝐴21 𝑁2 + 𝐵21 𝑁2 𝜌(𝜐)
9. Population inversion
Let us consider two level energy system of energies E1 and E2 as shown in figure. Let N1 and N2 be
the populations of energy levels E1 and E2. The number of atoms present in an energy level is known as
population of that energy level. At ordinary conditions, i.e., the population in the ground or lower state is
always greater than the population in the excited or higher states. The stage of making, population of
higher energy level is greater than the population of lower energy level is called population inversion.
According to Boltzmann’s distribution the population of an energy level 𝐸𝑖 at temperature T is given by
− 𝑬𝒊
𝑵𝒊 = 𝑵𝟎 𝒆( 𝑲𝑻 )
Where 𝑁0 𝑖𝑠 the population of the lower level or ground state and k is is the Boltzmann’s constant.
The number of atoms present in the excited state (N2) is greater than the number of atoms
present in the ground state (N1) is called population inversion.
When a suitable energy is supplied to the system, atoms get excited into E3. After their lifetime the
atoms are transit into E2. Due to more lifetime of an atom in state E2, the atoms stay for longer time than
compare with the state E3. Due to the accumulation of atoms instate E2, the population inversion is
established in between the E1 and E2 states.
10. Types of lasers
On the basis of active medium used in the laser systems, lasers are classified into several types
I. Solid lasers : Ruby laser, Nd;YAG laser, Nd;Glass
II. Liquid lasers : Europium Chelate laser, SeOCl2
III. Gas lasers : CO2, He-Ne, Argon-Ion Laser
IV. Dye lasers : Rhodamine 6G
V. Semiconductor lasers : InP, GaAs.
VI. Chemical lasers : HF, DF.
Energy source
To get laser emission, first we must have population inversion in the active medium.
The energy source supplies the energy to the active medium.
By absorbing that energy, the atoms or molecules or ions can be excited into higher levels.
As a result we get population inversion in the active medium.
Working
When the electric discharge (fast moving electrons) is passing through the gas mixture, the electrons
collide with the He gas atoms excites into higher levels F2 and F3 form F1 by absorbing the electrons
energy.
In He atoms higher levels F2 and F3, the life time of He atoms is more.
Since F2 and F3 states are acting as metastable states, so the He atom cannot return to ground ground
level through spontaneous emission.
So there is a maximum possibility of energy transfer between He and Ne atoms through atomic
collisions.
When He atoms present in the levels F2 and F3 collide with Ne atoms present ground state E1, the Ne
atoms gets excitation into higher levels E4 andE6.
In this laser system, the active medium is a p-n junction diode made from crystalline gallium arsenide.
The p-region and n-region in the diode are obtained by heavily doping with germanium and tellurium
respectively in GaAs.
The thickness of the p-n junction is very narrow so that the emitted radiation has large divergence and
poor coherence.
At the junction two sides are roughed to avoid laser emission and the remaining two faces one is
partially polished and the other is fully polished.
The laser emission takes place from the partially polished face.
To provide bias two metal contacts are provided in the top and bottom of the diode as shown in figure.
The continuous injection of charge carriers creates the population inversion of minority carriers in n
and p sides’ respectively.
The electrons and holes recombine and release of light energy takes place in or near the junction as
shown in figure.
The emitted photons increase the rate of recombination of injected electrons from the n-region and
holes in p-region by inducing more recombinations.
𝐶
From Planck’s law 𝐸𝑔 = ℎ𝜐 = ℎ 𝜆
ℎ𝐶 6.63 × 10−34 × 3 × 108
𝜆= = = 8874𝐴0
𝐸𝑔 1.4 × 1.6 × 10−19
In case of GaAs homo-junction which has an energy gap of 1.44eV gives a laser beam of wave length
around 8874A0.
The wave length of emitted radiation depends up on the concentration of donor and acceptor atoms in
GaAs.
The efficiency of the laser emission is increases when we cool the GaAs diode.
Working
When xenon flash lamp is switched on, it emits thousand joules of light energy is discharged in a
few milliseconds. A part of this light energy will be flashes on the Nd-YAG rod.
Then the Nd3+ are excited to higher energy states E4 from ground state E1 by absorbing the light
7200 A0 to 8000 A0 wavelength.
1.064 μm
The excited Nd3+ ions then make a transition from these energy levels.
In the excited state E4 the life time of Nd3+ ions are very small so it de-excites into E3 state through
non-radioactive transition.
In E3 state the life time of Nd3+ ions is large, so it will act as Meta stable state.
In Meta stable state, the Nd3+ ions remain for longer duration of the order 10-3 second, so population
inversion takes place between Meta stable E3 and E2 state.
The Nd3+ Ions are de-excited into ground E1 state through fast decay.
Hence, pulsed form of laser beam of wavelength 1.064 µm is emitted during transition from E2to E1.
Applications of Nd-YAG Laser
These lasers are widely used for cutting, drilling, welding in the industrial products.
It is used in long haul communication systems.
It is also used in the endoscopic applications
8. Scientific field
Lasers are used for isotope preparation.
Lasers are employed to create plasma.
Lasers are used in air pollution, to estimate the size of the dust particles.
Lasers are used in the field of 3D-photography
Lasers used in Recording and reconstruction of hologram.
Lasers used to produce certain chemical reactions.
Lasers are used in Raman spectroscopy to identify the structure of the molecule.
Lasers are used in the Michelson- Morley experiment.