22.14.

3 HELIUM-NEON LASER
Gas lasers are the most widely
used lasers. They range from the low
power helium-neon laser used in
college laboratories to very high
power carbon dioxide laser used in
industrial applications. These lasers
operate with rarefied gases as the
active media and are excited by an
electric discharge. In gases, the
energy levels of atoms involved in
the lasing process are narrow and as
such require sources with sharp Helium-Neon Laser.
 Chapter:22 : Lasers 625
to excite atoms.
length
appropriate optical
Helium-neon
pumping poses a Cathode Anode mixture
hlem.
Therefore optical
for

not used in gas 6328A

is most COmmon
The
gas laser Mirror Glass
ofexciting
passing an window
is by through the
discharge
in the Fig. 22.28.
Electrons present
transfer energy to
isharge
in
the laser gas by collisions.
Thefirstgaslaser was He-Ne laser which was invented in 1961 byAli Javan, William R. Bennet,
s7S

t.andDonaldR.Herriott.
Construction:The:chematicofa He-Ne laseris shown in Fig.22.28. Helium- Neonlaser consists
long
dischargetubeflled with a mixture of helium and neon gases inthe ratio 10: 1.Neon atoms
ta activecentersand
e have energylevels suitable for laser transitions while helium atoms helpin
gethe
neon atoms. Electrodes are provided in the discharge tube to produce discharge in inclined
the gas.
PXCiting
connectedto a high voltage power supply. The tube is hermetically sealed by
Theyare of the tube,two mirrors are arranged externally which
windows arranged atitstwo ends. On the axis m /2
the Fabry-Perot
optical resonator. The distance between the mirrors is adjusted to be
om supports standing wave pattern.
that the resonator
Helium Energy
transfer
Neon
Metastable by collision
(5s) 20.66 eV
-Es
F(2s) 20.61 eV Es
E,(4s) 6329 Å

E, (3p)
butos/18.70 eV
Excitation Spontaneous
by inelastic emission
electron (3s) 16.70 eV
impact Diffusionaiea
to walls

(2p) Ground state

(1s) Ground state E,
F; shown.
diagram for a helium-neon laser. Only the relevant energy levels are
Energy level
Fig. 22.29

four-level pumping scheme. The energy leveis ot

wOrking: Helium - Neon laser emplovs a switched on, a high voltage of about
is
helium and neon are shown in Fig.22.29. When the the gas. The electrons and ions produced
power
10 kV is applied across the gas. It is sufficient to ionize cathode respectively. The
the anode and
in the
process of discharge are accelerated towards of theexcited levels
ofhelium F, (2s)
collisions. One
energetic electrons excite helium atomssthrough
 626 ATextbook of Optics
is at 20.61 eV above the ground level. It is ametaslable level and the excited helium atom canne
return to the ground level through spontaneous emission. However, it can return to the groind
by transferring its excess energyto a neon atom through collision. Such an energy transfer can take
place when the two colliding atoms have identical energy levels. Such an energy transfer is known as
resonant energy transfer. One of the excited levels ofneon E,(5s) is at: 20.66eV, which is nearly at
betweendl
the same level as F, of helium atom. Therefore, resonant ransier Ol energy can occur
excited helium atom and ground level neon atom. The kinetic energy of helium atoms provides ik
the ground stol.
additional 0.05 eV required for excitation of the neon atoms. Helium atoms drop toofhelium
in He-Ne laser. The role atet
after exciting neon atoms.This is the pumping mechanism
to excite neon atoms and to cause population inversion.
The probability of energy transfer fro.
heliumatoms per Tneon atom in the gas mivtuo
helium atoms tOneon atoms is nmore, as there are T0
helium atom is negligible.
The probability ofreverse transfer ofenergy from neon to
Therefore, neon atoms accumulate in thic
The upper state ofneon atom E, is ametastable state.
and astate of population
upper state. The E; (3p)is sparsely populated at ordinary temperatures, emitted spontaneously
inversion is readily established between E, and E, levels. Random photons
E,’E,generates a laser beam of red
prompt stimulated emission and lasing occurs. The transition
um and 1.15 um laser beams
colour of wavelength 6328 ¢. Other possible transitions produce 3.39
respectively. These transitions are not shown in Fig. 22.29.
spontaneously. E, level is however a
From the level E, the neon atoms drop to E, (3s) level these
E, level. It is necessary that
metastable state. Consequently, neon atoms tend to accumulate at at the ground
the number of atoms
atoms are brought to the ground stateE,(2p)quickly; otherwise
function. The only way of bringing the atoms to
state willgo ondiminishing and the laser ceases to
ground state is through collisions. Ifthe discharge tube is made narrow, the probability of atomic
the collisions with the walls, the neon
frequent
collisions with the tube walls increases. Because of
rapidly drop to the ground level and will be available for excitation once again.
atoms
probability of collisions of atoms with the
If the diameter of the discharge tube is increased, the
and the neon atoms tend to accumulate at energy level E,. In due course of time, the
wallsdecreases
more available at the ground level for further excitation. Therefore, the laser ceases to
atoms are no laboratories as a monochromatic
operates in cw mode and is widely used in
operate. He-Ne laser
code reading, etc.
source. It is alsowidely used in laser printing, bar