LASER Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation History

Luminescent light source based on light amplification.

Albert Einstein
(1879-1955) • 1917 - Albert Einstein: theoretical prediction of stimulated emission.
• 1946 - G. Meyer-Schwickerather: first eye surgery with light.
Arthur L. Schawlow
(1921-1999) • 1950 - Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes: emitted photons may be
in the visible range.
Theodore Maiman
(1927-2007) • 1954 - N.G. Basow, A.M. Prochorow, and C. Townes: ammonia maser
• 1960 - Theodore Maiman: first laser (ruby laser)
Nikolay G. Basow
(1922-2001)
• 1964 - Basow, Prochorow, Townes (Nobel-prize): quantum electronics
Charles H. Townes
(1915-)
• 1970 - Arthur Ashkin: laser tweezers
• 1971 - Dénes Gábor (Nobel-prize): holography, 1947
Alexander M. Prokhorov
(1916-2002)
• 1997 - S. Chu, W.D. Phillips and C. Cohen-Tanoudji (Nobel-prize): atom
cooling with laser.
Steven Chu
(1948-)
• 2013, october 8: NIF (National Ignition Facility, USA): launching nuclear
fusion with 192 laser beams, positive energy balance.

Gábor Dénes
• 2017 - ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure), Szeged, Hungary. generation
(1900-1979) of attosecond (10-18 s) light pulses.
Terawatt NOVA laser - Lawrence Livermore
5 mW diode laser, few mms • 2018 - Nobel-prize in physics: Arthur Ashkin (laser tweezers), Gérard
Laboratories. Size of a football field
Mourou and Donna Strickland (ultrashort laser pulses)
Arthur Ashkin
13.11.2019 András Kaposi, using lecture notes of Miklós Kellermayer (1922-)
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Principles of laser. Stimulated emission Principles of laser. Population inversion

Energy
Elementary processes in Einstein’s two energy state model

1. Absorption 2. Spontaneous emission 3. Stimulated emission ΔJ=JK(N2-N1)Δx

Light amplification K
E2 J = intensity
Energy depends on the Active K = constant
N2
relative population of
J medium J+ΔJ x = distance travelled within medium
() () B21 N1, N2 = number of atoms on the E level
energy levels.
B12 A21 Δx N.B.: If ΔJ is positive, more light exits
the medium, than has entered!

N1
E1

Frequency of transition: Frequency of transition: Frequency of transition: Excited

E2 E2
n12=N1B12ρ(ν) n21=N2A21 n21=N2B21ρ(ν) state
ΔE= E2-E1=hν E2-E1 photons In the presence of exernal field.
energy quantum is travel independently in all Field energy is increased. Ground E1 E1
absorbed. directions. Phase, direction and frequency of state Thermal equilibrium Population inversion
emitted and external photons are
identical.
E2
• Population inversion only Rapid relaxation
Explanation: two-state atomic or molecular system E1 Metastable state
in multiple-state systems
E1, E2 : energy levels, E2>E1
ρ(ν) : spectral energy density of external field
• Pumping: optical, Pumping
Cf. Textbook Fig. II.31 electrical, chemical, … Laser transition
N1, N2 : number of atoms or molecules on the given energy level
energy
B12, A21, B21: transition probabilities (Einstein coefficients), B12 = B21 E0
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 1. Small divergence
Parallel (collimated) beam Properties of laser light
Principles of laser. Optical resonance 2. Large power/power density
In continuous (CW) mode, tens,
hundreds of W (e.g., CO2 laser)
In Q-switched mode, momentary power
Semi-transparent is enormous (GW)
mirror (99%) Because of small divergence, large Emission
Mirror (99.9%) Pumping spectrum of
spatial power density. He-Ne laser

3. Small spectral bandwidth

Active medium Laser beam
“Monochromaticity”
Large spectral energy density

4. Often polarized
d=mλ/2 m = 1, 2, 3, ....
5. Possibility of extremely short
Resonator: pulses (ps, fs)
• two parallel (or concave) mirrors 6. Coherence
• part of the exciting light is coupled back into the medium phase identity, interference tendency;
• positive feedback -> self-excitation -> resonance temporal coherence (phase identity of
photons emitted at different times);
•Optical switch in the resonator: Q-switch, pulsed mode spatial coherence
(phase identity across beam diameter).
5 Application: holography, optical
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coherence tomography

Types of lasers based on active medium Types of lasers based on wavelength

Solid state lasers
Metal doping in crystals or glasses; Ruby, Nd-YAG, Ti-
sapphire
Red-infrared spectral range; CW, Q-switched mode,
large power

Gas lasers CO2 laser

(cutting a
Best known: He-Ne laser (10 He/Ne). Small energy, metal sheet)
wide use
CO2 laser: CO2-N2-He mixture; λ~10 µm; Huge power
(100 W) Dye laser
laser lines (wavelengths) are available from X-rays to infrared light!
Dye lasers
Dilute solution of organic dyes (e.g., rhodamine, Factors to be considered in laser applications
coumarine); Pumped by another laser.
Large power (Q-switched mode); Tunable • Steerability (small divergence)
Diode laser • Monochromaticity
Semiconductor (diode) lasers
On the boundary of p- and n-type doped • Coherence ▪ 10 mW DVD player
semiconductors. No need for resonator mirrors (total • Possibility of short pulses ▪ 200 mW DVD burner
▪ 20 W solid-state laser for micromachining
internal reflection), Red, IR spectral range. Huge CW • Power: ▪ 100 W surgical CO2 laser
power (up to 100W). Beam characteristics are not very ▪ 3 kW industrial CO2 laser (laser cutter)
good. Wide use because of small size. ▪ 1 kW 1 cm diode laser bar
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 Distance/speed measurement with laser. MALDI-TOF:
matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization
“Laser capture microdissection”
LIDAR: “Light Detection and Ranging”
time of flight mass spectrometry
laser property utilized: steerability, laser property utilized: power density
short pulses

Laser

Scanning
mirror

laser property
utilized:
power density,
steerability
Recording:
reconstructed
spatial
arrangement.
Significance: local
In traffic
analytics are possible
speedometer: (chemistry, genetics)
100 pulses in
0.3 s 9 10

Holography Laser property utilized: coherence Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP)
Laser property
utilized:
power density,
steerability

The diffusion
coefficient can be
determined from the
time-dependent
recovery of
fluorescence as:
Recording a hologram
Visualization of a hologram

D = diffusion
coefficient
w = width of
Dénes Gábor Surface of a hologram bleached area
Holograms
(1900-1979) recording tD = time constant
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Fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). Flow cytometry
Laser scanning confocal microscopy
• A cell suspension, fluorescently labeled by using specific antibodies, is analyzed cell-by-cell
• Numerous parameters are measured simultaneously (fluorescence intensity at several
wavelengths, small- and large-angle scatter) Laser property utilized: monochromaticity, steerability
• Statistical analysis
• If needed, cells can be separated according to their fluorescence Scanning
Y X

Laser property utilized: monochromaticity, small spot size

Cytometry statistics
1D histograms:

“Confocal principle”

2D histogram:

Green: microtubules; Red: actin; Blue: nuclei

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Multiphoton fluorescence microscopy Laser tweezers

Laser property utilized: power density, steerability
Laser property utilized: monochromaticity, steerability, short pulses
•Energy of two (or more) photons are added during excitation
•Excitation (hence emission) only in the focal point (limited photodamage) Laser
•Excitation with long wavelength (near-IR), short (fs) light pulses
•Large (up to 2 mm) penetration due to long wavelength Trapping
Microscope objective
bacterial
Gradient cells with
F F force
EXCITED STATE laser
Refractile
microsphere EQUILIBRIUM
tweezers

λ=400 nm λ=800 nm Scatter force

Arthur Ashkin (light pressure)
Excitation
Excitation

(1970)
Emission Emission x2
In the laser tweezer, momentum change occurs
Photon Photon between the photons and the trapped particle.
Molecular
GROUND STATE force
Manipulating measurement
molecules
with laser
tweezers
3 µm latex
(polystyrene)
Single-photon Two-photon microspheres in
fluorescence fluorescence the optical trap
Cortical pyramidal cells Green: proximal kidney tubules; Red: albumin (plasma)
15 Actin filament dsDNA 16
 Medical applications of lasers Medical
applications
of lasers

Incident laser beam Reflection

Laser properties to
consider:
Refraction
• Steerability (small
Absorption divergence, surgeries)
• Power (surgical applications) • Surgical disciplines: “laser knife”, coagulation, blood-less surgery.
Scattering • Monochromaticity (tissue • Tumor removal, tattoo removal: CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers, holmium laser
absorbance) lithotripsy (urology).
Emission • Coherence (interference,
Biological tissue!
image formation)
• Dermatology: wide-spread uses (tattoo removal, naevus removal, etc.)
• Dentistry: caries treatment (caries absorbs preferentially).
• Photodynamic tumor therapy: laser acivation of photosensitive chemicals
The effects depend not only on the properties of the laser, but also on those preferentially taken up by the tumor.
of the biological tissue: absorbance, transmittivity, light-induced reactions. • Opthalmology: Retina lesions, photocoagulation, glaucoma, photorefractive
keratektomy (PRK).
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Dermatological applications. Hair/ tattoo/ naevus removal Dermatological applications

Phototricholysis, photoepilation Removal of superficial blood vessels Resurfacing
Wrinkle removal
Mechanism: selective photothermolysis, selective absorption by chromophores before after

before after
Employed chromophores:

1. Carbon (exogenous,
carbon or graphite-
containing creams)
2. Hemoglobin
(endogenous)
3. Melanin (endogenous)
before

before after
before after

after
before after Rhinophyma (sebaceous gland hypertrophy, fibrosis)
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 Oncological applications: Photodynamic therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT):
Ophthalmologic applications: Considerations
Roswell Park Cancer Institute 1970’s.
Transmittivity of optical media is wavelength-dependent
Three-component tumor therapeutic method:
1) photosensitizing agent, 2) light, 3) oxygen
Steps:
Delivery of light into the patient:
surface exposure, optical fiber

Visible laser UV laser

retina cornea
1. Administration of photosensitizing agent (nm)
(aminolevulic acid, ALA).
2. Incubation for few hours. ALA is
transformed into protoporhyrin IX.
3. Illumination of target area with diode laser
(few minutes). eyelens
4. Protoporphyrin absorbs ➛ excited singlet
state ➛ triplet state ➛ energy transfer
with triplet oxygen ➛ excited, reactive
oxygen ➛ tissue reaction. The illuminated
area necrotizes in a few days.
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Ophthalmologic applications, LASIK Ophthalmologic applications

“Laser-assisted In Situ Keratomileusis”. type of refractive laser eye surgery
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
History: •Non-invasive
Jose Barraquer, 1970: construction of a microkeratome, with which he was able to cut lines •Contrast-agent free
and lobes in the cornea with laser (keratomileusis). •Near microscopic resolution
Lucio Buratto (Italian) and Ioannis Pallikaris (Greek), 1990: combination of keratomileusis
photorefractive keratectomy.
Thomas and Tobias Neuhann (Germany), 1991: automated microkeratome. Principles:
light rays reflected in deeper
Steps: tissue layers can be separated
1.Removal of contact lens from scatter by using
(7-10 days prior to interferometry. The spatial
treatment) position of the reflecting layers
2.Scanning the topography can be determined. The
of the cornea with low- structure of the illuminated
power laser. sample can be resolved within
3.Cutting and lifting a layer 1-2 mm depth.
of the cornea with
femtosecond laser.
4.Removal of material from
the corneal stroma (few
tens of microns). Excimer
laser (193 nm).

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Normal retina Macula degeneration 24