1.
1 LASER
Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Absorption or Stimulated absorption:-
When a photon of energy (hυ) is incident on atom then atom jump from ground state to excited state this process is
called as Absorption or Stimulated absorption.
Spontaneous Emission:-
After completion of life time excited state atom comes to ground state on its own accord emitting a photon
of energy (hυ) this process is called as spontaneous emission.
Stimulated Emission:-
When the atom is in excited state and before jump to ground state if the atom is triggered due an action of
incident photon. The interaction between excited atom and incident photon generates another photon which
is identical to incident photon. This process is called as stimulated emission.
Some definition:-
Life Time:- The atoms stay in the excited state for a very short time known as a life time of that state.
Metastable state: - The state at which the excited atom can stay for longer time is called as metastable
state. Meta-stable States plays very important role in laser action.
Resonant Cavity:- A cavity can be constructed using mirrors such that the light rays return to their
original position after travelling through the cavity for a certain number of times such cavities are known as
Resonant cavity.
Population inversion:-
Population means number of atoms occupying an energy state.
Normally population of ground state (E1) is higher than excited state (E2 ) as shown in figure.
In order to produce stimulated emission population of excited state should be greater than ground state.
‘Making population of excited state more than ground state is called population inversion’.
Where N1 and N2 are number of concentration of atoms in each state.
Optical Pumping:- Optical pumping is a process in which light energy is used to excite atom from a
lower energy level to higher energy level.
Let E1 , E2 and E3 are energy levels and N1, N2 and N3 are respective concentration of atoms. The atoms in
level E1 are excited to E3 by optical pumping. The concentration of N 1 decreases. The time for which the
atoms can stay in this level is very short. They lose some energy and return to the energy state E 2 this is
metastable state.
The transition from E3 to E2 is rapid and spontaneous since level E2 is metastable state, the number of
atoms in E2 increases and when it is greater than state E1 i.e. N2 >> N1 population inversion takes place.
The stimulated emission from E2 to E1 causes LASER action.
Characteristics or Properties of laser:
1. Coherence:- Coherence means all the emitted photons are in the same phase.
2. Monochromatic:- The light emitted by a laser is more monochromatic than that of any conventional
source. They have same wavelength and frequency.
3. Unidirectionality:- The conventional light source spreads light in all directions but laser emits the beam
only in one direction.
4. High Intensity:- Laser light is much more brighter (intense) than any other conventional source.
Gas Laser:
CO2 Laser:
The Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is a molecular gas laser based on a gas mixture carbon dioxide (CO 2),
Helium (He) and Nitrogen (N2) as a gain medium.
Depending on manufacturing, continuous output power varies between a few watts to several hundred
watts.
Principle of Vibration Modes of CO2 Laser:
A CO2 molecule is a linear molecule and with carbon atom in the middle. It undergoes 3 independent
vibration oscillations.
Transition to the symmetric stretching mode and bending modes correspond to wavelength of 1.6 µm and
9.6 µm respectively.
CO2 Laser:-
Construction:-
1) The output power of CO2 laser depends on its diameter.
2) A mixture of CO2,N 2 and He is taken into a discharge tube powered by a power supply.
3) Gases are filled inside the tube with pressure 10% CO2 , 10%N2 and 80% He.
4) At the one end of tube perfect reflector is fixed and at the other end partial reflector is fixed for
re-circulation of laser light inside the tube.
Working:-
1) High voltage across the electrodes excites the gas molecules.
2) N2 molecules in the gas excited to higher level and transfer energy to CO2 molecules by collisions.
3) CO2 molecule are excited to E5 where population inversion takes place with respect to 2 lasing level
E4 and E3.
4) Transition between E5 to E4 produces IR Radiations of wavelength 10.6 µm.
5) Transition between E5 to E3 produces IR Radiations of wavelength 9.6 µm.
6) CO2 molecules in E4 and E3 levels falls to lower energy level E2 which is close to ground level.
He-atoms collides with CO2 molecules in E2 level and reduce their population.
7) The de-excited molecules are again excited due to collision of N2 and are taken into upper excited
state E5. This help to maintain continuous laser output.
Advantages of CO2 laser:-
1. It operates in continuous mode.
2. It has low cost per watt.
3. Good beam quality.
4. It generates high power output which ranges from few watts to 15kW
Applications of Laser
1. In Information Technology:-
Holography:- Holography means “complete recording”. It gives 3D image of an object. In
holography image of object is not recorded but the light waves reflected from the object are recorded.
The photographic record is called hologram. Hologram contains all information about the object but in
optical code.
Recording of hologram:-
The laser light is spitted into two parts by using beam splitter as shown in fig.
The first beam is fall on the object. The scattered or defracted light falls on the photographic plate.
The second beam is reflected from mirror and fall on photographic plate. Thus defracted and reference
beam reach photographic plate simultaneously.
They are interfere with each other, thus we get interference fringes which is known as hologram.
Reconstruction of hologram:-
1. To see the reconstructed image, the hologram is illuminated by the reference beam alone, maintaining
the original alignment and orientation. This process is called as reconstruction.
2. The hologram acts as a diffraction grating.
3. The light from hologram will be diffracted inward and outward.
4. One set of diffracted rays will converge to form real image while other set will diverge to form virtual
image as shown in fig.
5. Thus the hologram can form real as well as virtual image.
2. Optical Discs (CD/DVD):
On CD-RW, binary information is stored as areas of metal alloy that are either crystalline or
amorphous.
The reflective layer is, however, a silver-indium-antimony-tellurium (AgInSbTe) alloy with a
polycrystalline structure and reflective properties in its original state.
When writing the laser beam uses its maximum power (8 - 14 mW) to heat the material to 500–700 °C
causing material liquefaction. In this state, the alloy loses its polycrystalline structure and reflectivity and
assumes an amorphous state.
The lost reflectivity serves the same function as bumps on manufactured CDs and the opaque spots on a
CD-R are read as a "0".
The polycrystalline state of the disc forms the channels, which are read as "1".
The scanning signal when reading is done by strong or weak reflection of the laser beam.
To erase the disc, the write beam heats the amorphous regions with low power to about 200 °C. The alloy
is not melted, but returns to the polycrystalline state and is again reflective.
3. Industrial and Engineering Applications of Laser:
Welding:-The two metal plates are held in contact at their edges and a high power laser is focused on the
line of contact.
Advantages: Heat affected area is small as laser is focused beam, No possibility of introducing impurities.
Laser welding is commonly used in automobile, ship building and aircraft manufacturing. CO 2 and
NdYAG high power lasers are used.
Cutting:
Laser is focused on the metal sheet and a jet of oxygen is blown on the spot of cutting.
Advantages:- High speed and fine cutting, heat affected area is small as laser is focused beam oxygen also
blows away the vaporised metal and also cool the adjacent edges. Used in heavy industries to cut multiple
sheets. CO 2 and NdYAG high power lasers are used.
Drilling:
Holes can be drilled into materials using high power pulsed laser of 10 -2 to 10-3 s duration. Laser pulse
evaporates the material which leaves the hole in its place.
Advantages: High degree of precision, holes can be drilled in any direction and very small holes can be
drilled of the order of few microns. Nd-YAG high power lasers are generally used.
Micromachining:
Lasers are used for machining a surface in a slow and accurate manner to achieve an extraordinary smooth
finish.
Barcode Scanners:
Barcode is a machine readable code in the form of numbers and a pattern of parallel lines of varying width,
printed on an object for quick identification.
Laser scanners are used for decoding the barcode information on the products. Lasers are incident on it and
reflected laser is detected by photocell further analyzed.
4. Medical Applications:
Bloodless Surgeries:
Bloodless cancer surgeries can be performed as the beam can be focused on a small area, so that only the
harmful tissues can be destroyed without damaging the surrounding area.
Ophthalmology:
Lasers have been successfully used in the treatment of detached retinas, in welding cornea.
At the command of physician, laser produces a fine beam of light which is directed onto eye, to produce a
minute coagulation. A series of these lesions weld the detached retina.
Study of Genetics:
Lasers have been built into microscopes and can be used for micro-surgery, micro- burning.
A focused microscope laser can be used to make tiny openings of 25 µm in diameter in the cell walls of
nervous system, heart, retina etc. without causing damage.
Dental Treatments:
Lasers microprobes can be used as dental drills giving an advantage of no heating, no anesthetic and no
pain to the patient.
They have also been successfully used for localized treatment of skin growths and blemishes in human
beings.
