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Course Title: Laser Physics: Lecture # 4

This document provides an overview of a laser physics course, including amplification of light and optical feedback. It discusses how light is amplified as it passes through an absorbing medium with a population inversion between energy levels. Optical feedback is achieved using mirrors, allowing multiple passes through the gain medium to achieve lasing threshold. Key concepts covered include stimulated emission, absorption coefficient, population inversion, optical gain, cavity feedback, and lasing threshold.

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FAKIHA GULZAR BS Physics
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69 views

Course Title: Laser Physics: Lecture # 4

This document provides an overview of a laser physics course, including amplification of light and optical feedback. It discusses how light is amplified as it passes through an absorbing medium with a population inversion between energy levels. Optical feedback is achieved using mirrors, allowing multiple passes through the gain medium to achieve lasing threshold. Key concepts covered include stimulated emission, absorption coefficient, population inversion, optical gain, cavity feedback, and lasing threshold.

Uploaded by

FAKIHA GULZAR BS Physics
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Course Title: Laser Physics

BS 8th : PHY-606
Credit hrs: 3(3-0)

Lecture # 4
Topic:
● Amplification of light
● Optical feedback
Objectives:
Understand the basic terminologies used in laser action
Amplification of light
◻ In lasers, light is amplified. To understand it let us consider a collimated beam of
perfectly monochromatic radiation passing through an absorbing medium (Figure).
Amplification of light
◻ We assume for simplicity that there is only one
relevant electron transition, which occurs between
the energy levels E1 and E2.
◻ For homogeneous medium, the change in irradiance
of the beam dI is proportional to the distance
travelled dx and to the incident intensity I,
i.e. dI= -αI.dx.
◻ Here the constant of proportionality, α, is the
absorption coefficient. The negative sign indicates
the reduction in beam irradiance due to absorption.
Writing this equation in differential form we have
Amplification of light
◻ By integrating we have
Amplification of light
◻ Let us consider the absorption coefficient in more detail. Clearly the degree of
absorption of the beam will depend upon N1, number of atoms with electrons in
the lower energy level E1, and N2, number of atoms with electrons in upper
energy level E2.
◻ If N2 is zero then the absorption would be maximum, while if all of the atoms are
in the upper level the absorption would be zero and the probability of stimulated
emission would be large.
◻ When a beam having N number of photons per unit volume pass through a
medium then net rate of loss of photons can be determined from the stimulated
transitions, i.e. absorption and emission.
◻ In this discussion we have ignored photons generated by spontaneous emission as these
are
◻ emitted randomly in all direction and do not contribute to the initial collimated beam.
◻ Similarly we have ignored scattering losses. Irradiance of a beam is the energy crossing
a unit area in unit time.
◻ In mathematical form it can be written as
◻ The absorption coefficient, α, depends on the difference in the populations of the two energy
levels E1 and E2. For a collection of atoms in thermal equilibrium, N1 will always be greater
than N2.
◻ If, however, we can create a situation in which N2 becomes greater than N1 then α is negative
and the quantity (-αx) in the exponent of equation 11 becomes positive.
◻ Thus the irradiance of the beam grows as it propagates through the medium in accordance with
the equation:
◻ Example 4.7: If the irradiance of light doubles after passing once through a laser
amplifier 0.5 m long, calculate the small signal gain coefficient assuming no
losses in the medium. If the increase in irradiance were only 5% what would be
k?
◻ Solution: In an optical amplifier, the light intensity increases as
Optical Feedback
◻ The gain (amplification) per unit length of most active media is so small that very little
◻ amplification of a beam of light results from a single pass.
◻ In the multiple passes through the same active media may result a large amplification.
◻ To make an oscillator from an amplifier, it is necessary to introduce a suitable positive
◻ feedback.
◻ In the laser, the positive feedback may be obtained by placing the active material
◻ between two highly reflecting mirrors (e.g., plain-parallel mirrors as shown in Figure 4.9).
◻ The initial stimulus is provided by any spontaneous transitions between appropriate
energy levels in which the emitted photon travels along the axis of the system.
Optical Feedback
◻ The signal is amplified as it passes through the medium and fedback by mirrors.
Saturation is reached when the gain provided by the medium exactly matches the
losses incurred during a complete round trip.
Optical Feedback
◻ If one of the two mirrors is made partially transparent, a useful output beam
can be extracted.
◻ It is important to note that for laser, a certain threshold condition must be
fulfilled. For laser, the oscillation will start when the gain of the active medium
compensates the losses.
◻ Thus, while a population inversion is a necessary condition for laser action it is
not the sufficient one because the minimum or threshold value of gain
coefficient must be large enough to overcome the losses and sustain
oscillations.
◻ The threshold gain specifies the minimum population inversion required.
Continued…………
References:
Masroor, I. 2008. Lasers and optics. Pakistan institute of engineering and applied
sciences, Islamabad.
Svelto, O. 2009. Principles of Lasers. Springer, 5th Edition.
Silfvast, W. T. (2004). Laser fundamentals. Cambridge university press.

Links:
Thank You

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