Nd: YAG laser

Nd: YAG laser is a neodymium based laser. Nd stands for Neodymium (rare earth element) and
YAG stands for Yttrium Aluminum Garnet ( Y3Al5O12) . It is a four level solid state laser.

Principle: The active medium Nd: YAG rod is optically pumped by Krypton flash tubes. The
Neodymium ions (Nd3+) are raised to excited levels. During the transition from meta stable state
to ground state, a laser beam of wavelength 1.064μm is emitted.

Construction: The construction of Nd: YAG laser is as shown in the figure. A small amount of
Yttrium ions (Y3+) is replaced by Neodymium (Nd3+) in the active element of Nd: YAG
crystal. This active element is cut into a cylindrical rod. The ends of the cylindrical rod are
highly polished and they are made optically flat and parallel. This cylindrical rod (laser rod) and
a pumping source (flash tube) are placed inside a highly (reflecting) elliptical reflector cavity.
The optical resonator is formed by using two external reflecting mirrors. One mirror (M1) is
100% reflecting while the other mirror (M2) is partially reflecting.

Working: Figure shows the energy level diagram for Nd: YAG laser. These energy levels are
those of Neodymium (Nd3+) ions.
1.When the krypton flash lamp is switched on, by the absorption of light radiation of wavelength
0.73μm and 0.8μm, the Neodymium(Nd3+) atoms are raised from ground level E 0 to upper
levels E3 and E4 (Pump bands).
2. The Neodymium ions atoms make a transition from these energy levels E 2 by non-radiative
transition. E2 is a metastable state.
3. The Neodymium ions are collected in the level E 2 and the population inversion is achieved
between E2 and E1.
4. An ion makes a spontaneous transition from E 2to E1, emitting a photon of energy hγ. This
emitted photon will trigger a chain of stimulated photons between E2 and E1.
5. The photons thus generated travel back and forth between two mirrors and grow in strength.
After some time, the photon number multiplies more rapidly.
6. After enough strength is attained (condition for laser being satisfied), an intense laser light of
wavelength 1.06μm is emitted through the partial reflector. It corresponds to the transition
from E2to E1.

Characteristics:
1. Type: It is a four level solid state laser.
2. Active medium: The active medium isNd: YAG laser.
3. Pumping method: Optical pumping is employed for pumping action.
4. Pumping source: Xenon or Krypton flash tube is used as pumping source.
5. Optical resonator: Two ends of Nd: YAG rod is polished with silver (one end is fully silvered
and the other is partially silvered) are used as optical resonator.
6. Power output: The power output is approximately 70 watt.
7. Nature of output: The nature of output is pulsed or continuous beam of light.
8. Wavelength of the output: The wavelength of the output beam is 1.06μm (infra-red)

Advantages:
1. It has high energy output.
2. It has very high repetition rate operation
3. It is much easy to achieve population inversion.

Disadvantages:
The electron energy level structure of Nd3+in YAG is complicated.

Applications:
1. It finds many applications in range finders and illuminators.
2. It is widely used in engineering applications such as resistor, trimming scribing, micro
machining operations as well as welding, drilling etc.
3. It finds many medical applications such as endoscopy, urology, neurosurgery, ENT,
gynecology, dermatology, dental surgery and general surgery.
Helium- Neon (He-Ne Laser)

It is a type of gas laser where helium and neon gases are used as an active medium. Commonly,
This laser emits at 632.8 nm (usually red). However, It has two other lasing outputs as well at
1.152um and 3.392um, These two wavelengths can also be generated if desired. These lasers can
produce the maximum power of 50 watts

Some of the major advantages of Helium Neon lasers are its low cost, less complicated
construction, high coherence. These can be seen easily in shopping malls as bar-code readers.
Researchers also use this laser for alignment purposes.

Construction

The setup consists of a discharge tube of length 80 cm and bore diameter of 1.5 cm. The gain
medium of the laser, as suggested by its name, is a mixture of helium and neon gases, in a 5:1 to
20:1 ratio, contained at low pressure (an average 50 Pa per cm of cavity length ) in a glass
envelope.

The energy or pump source of the laser is provided by an electrical discharge of around 1000
volts through an anode and cathode at each end of glass tube. A current of 5 to 100 mA is typical
for CW operation.

He Ne lasers are normally small, with cavity lengths of around 15 cm up to .5cm and optical
output powers ranging from 1 mW to 100 mW.

Working

(a) A high voltage DC produces energetic electrons that travel through the gas mixture. The gas
mixture in helium-neon laser is mostly comprised of helium atoms. Therefore, helium atoms
absorb most of the energy supplied by the high voltage DC. The electrons produced in the
process of discharge are accelerated between the electrodes through the gas mixture.

When the power is switched on, an energetic electron, by collision, excites a He atom to the state
labeled 2S. He atom in this excited state is often written He*(21 S), where the asterisk means
that the He atom is in an excited.
(b) The excited He*(21 S) atom collides with an unexcited Ne atom and the atoms exchange
internal energy, with an unexcited He atom and excited Ne atom, written Ne*(3s), resulting. This
energy exchange process occurs with high probability only because of the accidental near
equality of the two excitation energies of the two levels in these atoms. Thus, the purpose of
population inversion is fulfilled

(c) When the excited Ne atom passes from metastable state(3s) to lower level(2p), it emits
photon of wavelength 632 nm.

(d) This photon travels through the gas mixture parallel to the axis of tube, it is reflected back
and forth by the mirror ends until it stimulates an excited Ne atom and causes it to emit a photon
of 632nm with the stimulating photon.

(e) The stimulated transition from (3s) level to (2p) level is laser transition.

This process is continued and when a beam of coherent radiation becomes sufficiently strong, a
portion of it escape through partially silvered end.

The Ne atom passes to lower level 1s emitting spontaneous emission. and finally the Ne atom
comes to ground state through collision with tube wall and undergoes radiation lesss transition.

Applications of Helium - Neon Laser

The Narrow red beam of He-Ne laser is used in supermarkets to read bar codes.
The He- Ne Laser is used in Holography in producing the 3D images of objects.
He-Ne lasers have many industrial and scientific uses, and are often used in laboratory
demonstrations of optics.
 Molecular Gas laser
In a molecular gas laser, laser action is achieved by transitions between vibrational and rotational
levels of molecules. Its construction is simple and the output of this laser is continuous. In CO 2
molecular gas laser, transition takes place between the vibrational states of Carbon dioxide
molecules.

CO2 Molecular gas laser

It was the first molecular gas laser developed by Indian born American scientist
Prof.C.K.N.Pillai. It is a four level laser and it operates at 10.6 μm in the far IR region. It is a
very efficient laser. Energy states of CO 2 molecules. A carbon dioxide molecule has a carbon
atom at the center with two oxygen atoms attached, one at both sides. Such a molecule exhibits
three independent modes of vibrations. They are a) Symmetric stretching mode, b) Bending
mode, c) Asymmetric stretching mode.

a. Symmetric stretching mode:

In this mode of vibration, carbon atoms are at rest and both oxygen atoms vibrate
simultaneously along the axis of the molecule departing or approaching the fixed carbon
atoms.

b. Bending mode:
In this mode of vibration, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms vibrate perpendicular to
molecular axis.

c. Asymmetric stretching mode:

In this mode of vibration, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms vibrate asymmetrically, i.e.,
oxygen atoms move in one direction while carbon atoms in the other direction.
Principle:
The active medium is a gas mixture of CO 2, N2 and He. The laser transition takes place
between the vibrational states of CO2molecules.

Construction:
It consists of a quartz tube 5 m long and 2.5 cm in the diameter. This discharge tube is
filled with gaseous mixture of CO2 (active medium), helium and nitrogen with suitable
partial pressures. The terminals of the discharge tubes are connected to a D.C power
supply. The ends of the discharge tube are fitted with NaCl Brewster windows so that the
laser light generated will be polarized. Two concave mirrors one fully reflecting and the
other partially form an optical resonator.

Working:
Figure shows energy levels of nitrogen and carbon dioxide molecules.

When an electric discharge occurs in the gas, the electrons collide with nitrogen
molecules and they are raised to excited states.
This process is represented by the equation
N2 + e*= N2* + e
N2= Nitrogen molecule in ground state
e*= electron with kinetic energy
N2* = nitrogen molecule in excited state
e= same electron with lesser energy

Now N2 molecules in the excited state collide with CO 2 atoms in ground state and excite
to higher electronic, vibrational and rotational levels.
This process is represented by the equation
N2* + CO2= CO2*+ N2
N2* = Nitrogen molecule in excited state.
CO2= Carbon dioxide atoms in ground state
CO2*= Carbon dioxide atoms in excited state
N2= Nitrogen molecule in ground state.

Since the excited level of nitrogen is very close to the E 5 level of CO2 atom, population in
E5level increases. As soon as population inversion is reached, any of the spontaneously
emitted photon will trigger laser action in the tube. There are two types of laser transition
possible.
I. Transition E5 to E4: This will produce a laser beam of wavelength 10.6μm
II. Transition E5 to E3: This transition will produce a laser beam of wavelength
9.6μm.

Normally 10.6μm transition is more intense than 9.6μm transition. The power output
from this laser is10kW.

Characteristics:
1. Type: It is a molecular gas laser.
2. Active medium: A mixture of CO 2, N2 and helium or water vapour is used as active
medium
3. Pumping method: Electrical discharge method is used for Pumping action
4. Optical resonator: Two concave mirrors form a resonant cavity
5. Power output: The power output from this laser is about 10kW.
6. Nature of output: The nature of output may be continuous wave or pulsed wave.
7. Wavelength of output: The wavelength of output is 0.6μm and 10.6μm.

Advantages:
1. The construction of CO2 laser is simple
2. The output of this laser is continuous.
3. It has high efficiency
4. It has very high output power.
5. The output power can be increased by extending the length of the gas tube.

Disadvantages:
1. The contamination of oxygen by carbon monoxide will have some effect on laser
action
2. The operating temperature plays an important role in determining the output power of
laser.
3. The corrosion may occur at the reflecting plates.
4. Accidental exposure may damage our eyes, since it is invisible (infra red region) to our
eyes.

Applications:
1. High power CO2 laser finds applications in material processing, welding, drilling,
cutting soldering etc.
2. The low atmospheric attenuation (10.6μm makes CO2 laser suitable for open air
communication.
3. It is used for remote sensing
4. It is used for treatment of liver and lung diseases.
5. It is mostly used in neuro surgery and general surgery.
6. It is used to perform microsurgery and bloodless operations