LASER

Challenging MCQ questions by The Physics Cafe

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1 (a) Stimulated emission and spontaneous emission are two processes in which photon emissions
can take place.

Explain the main difference between how these processes can happen.

[1]

fa e
(b) State and explain the importance of stimulated emission in the production of lasers.

s C
[2]

isc
(c) Explain what is meant by population inversion and why is it an essential condition in laser
production.

h y
e P
[2]

T h
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(d) Fig 5(a) shows the energy level diagram of a three-level laser. Lasing takes place between
E2 and E1 while Fig 5(b) shows the energy level diagram of a four-level laser. Lasing takes
place between E3 and E2.

E3 E4

E2 E3

E2

Ground state E1 Ground state E1

Fig 5(a) Fig 5(b)

State the advantage of the four-level laser over the three-level laser.

[2]

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Ans (a) Stimulated emission is triggered by an external photon whereas spontaneous emission
happens on its own accord.

(b) In stimulated emission, a photon of energy equal to the energy difference between the
metastable state and lower excited state will trigger the transition of the atom to the lower
energy state.

e
This results in 2 emitted photons that have the same frequency and hence coherent.

fa
In addition, the photons emitted are in phase, have the same polarization and are
moving in the same direction

These photons further stimulate more photons that are in phase, creating a coherent beam
of laser light of high intensity.

s C
(c) Population inversion that is, there being more excited atoms in the higher energy state
than a lower one is one of the conditions required

c
This ensures that the probability that an incident photon will stimulated emission
exceeds the probability that the photon will be absorbed as Incident photons can

is
cause either stimulated absorption or stimulated emission.

(If there is no population inversion, incoming photons will be more likely absorbed to cause
excitation rather than to result in stimulated emission as upper energy level is unoccupied.
It is required so that the stimulated emission dominates spontaneous emission in the

y
excited atoms.)

h
(d) The 4 level system ensures there is always population inversion between E3 and E2

P
as E2 undergoes rapid spontaneous emission to E1

This reduces the loss of photons by stimulated absorption between the upper (E3)

e
and lower (E2) laser level.

(Note Level 4 is practically empty due to fast spontaneous emission, hence any

h
appreciable population accumulating in level 3, the upper laser level, will form a population
inversion with respect to level 2. That is, as long as population in level 3 > 0, then a

T
population inversion is achieved between E3 and E2.

Since only a few atoms must be excited into the upper laser level to form a population
inversion, a four-level laser is much more efficient than a three-level one, and most
practical lasers are of this type.)

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2 A helium-neon laser tube consists of a 1:4 mixture of helium and neon gases, neon being the
medium in which laser action occurs. Fig. 6.1 shows the few important energy levels involved in the
actions.

Fig. 6.1
Helium atoms are excited to a metastable state E3 from ground state by collisions with high speed
electrons. The energy in E3 is then transferred to energy level E2 by collisions between the helium
and neon atoms. Laser light is then released when the electrons in E2 state fall to E1 state.

(a) Estimate the order of the time an electron will stay in the following states before falling to lower
states

(i) metastable state E3,

time  …………………………………. s

(ii) energy state E2 or E1.

time  …………………………………. s
[1]
(b) Electrons in E3 have energy of 20.61 eV. This is not enough to raise the electrons from the
ground state to E2 which requires 20.66 eV. Suggest why this excitation is possible.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……...………………………………………………………………………………………….………. [1]

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(c) Lasing occurs when electrons fall from E2 state to E1 state. Give a brief explanation of how
population inversion is achieved between these two levels.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……...……………………………………………………………………………….……………………...

e
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

fa
……...……………………………………………………………………………………………….…. [2]

Ans (a) (i) 103 s

(ii) 108 s

C
(b) The atoms in the mixture possess kinetic energy. Neon atoms absorb kinetic energy
during collisions with the helium atoms to make up the difference.

s
(c) Any excited electrons in E2 and E1 in Neon atoms will fall to the ground state in 10-8 s.
E3 is a metastable state which allows electrons to stay for 10-3s. Many helium atoms in

c
E3 state falls to ground state together during collision and pass the energy to the neon

is
atoms and excite them to the E2. So E2 state will have a higher population compared to
the E1 state, population inversion is thus achieved.

h y
e P
T h
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3 (a) Explain what is meant by the metastable state.

[1]

(b) Ruby is a crystal of aluminium oxide Al2O3 in which some aluminium ions are
replaced by chromium ions. It contains 0.05% to 0.5% of chromium and its colour is
pink. It is the energy levels of chromium, which takes part in lasing action to
produce the distinct red colour laser light in the ruby laser.

The energy level diagram of chromium is shown in Fig 4.1 below.

(Note that the energy values in this diagram are relative to the ground state, E1,
which is taken to be 0 eV.)

E4 3.11 eV
E3 2.26 eV

E2 1.79 eV

0 eV
E1
Fig. 4.1

(i) By showing suitable calculations, determine which energy level is the

metastable state. Explain your reasoning clearly.

metastable state ……….……. [4]

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(ii) The ruby laser delivers a 10.0 ns pulse of 1.00 MW average power. Estimate
how many photons are present within each pulse.

fa e
s C
isc number of photons = ……………………. [2]

y
Ans (a) It is defined as a higher energy level where electrons can stay for a much longer
period of time than the usual 10-8s.

h
(b) (i) As the laser light is red, a suitable estimate for the wavelength of red light is
700 nm.

P
Therefore, the energy transition involved should be about
hc (6.63×10-34 )(3.0×108 )

e
ΔE= =
λred (700×10-9 )(1.6×10-19 )

h
= 1.78 eV

T
The most suitable state transition that corresponds with the above energy
change is from E2 to E1.

Since laser light is produced via stimulated emissions from the metastable
state, and that population inversion is needed for lasing action to occur,
the energy transition has to occur starting from the metastable state to a lower
energy state.

Therefore, the metastable state is E2 (1.79 eV).

(ii) Epulse = Nphotons Ephoton
Epulse PΔt
Nphotons = =
Ephoton ΔE
6 -9
൫1.0×10 ൯൫10.0×10 ൯
=
1.79×൫1.6×10-19 ൯
= 3.49×1016

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