LASER

Contributed by : Dr. G.K. Pradhan, Dr. G. Shaw and Dr. S. Mangal

 SYLLABUS

Introduction & Quantum Transitions: Absorption,

Spontaneous Emission & Stimulated Emission,
Metastable State, Population Inversion

Pumping Schemes & LASER Properties,

Principle & working of Ruby & He-Ne LASER

Applications of LASER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Understand basic laser physics.

 Describe the concept of stimulated emission and

population inversion.

 Idea about Metastable state, Pumping and population

inversion

 Learn about the types of laser and their applications.

 LASER

L:LIGHT
A:AMPLIFICATION by
S:STIMULATED
E:EMISSION of
R:RADIATION
Difference between Ordinary & laser light
Ordinary light Laser light

•Polychromatic
• Incoherent • Monochromatic
• High Divergence • Coherent
• Low Intensity • Less Divergence
• High Intensity
 Characteristics of Laser

Monochromaticity
Coherence
 Temporal coherence
 Spatial coherence
Intensity
Unidirectionaly
Divergence
Spectral purity
Applications of Laser
Applications in communication
Industrial applications
Applications in the field of medical science
Astronomical and geophysical applications
Metrology applications
Defence application
Environmental monitoring and Scientific Research
ENTERTAINMENT APPLICATION

Laser show
 DEFENCE APPLICATION

Finger print detection

Detection of submarines
and mines

Laser at war time

 OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
Frequency in the visible region ~ 1014 cycle/sec
Frequency in the microwave region ~ 109 cycle/sec
i.e. communication capacity: light wave 105 > microwave
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Laser fusion

Laser Eraser
Compact Disk (CD)
 HOLOGRAPHY

DISPLAY HOLOGRAM: EXHIBIT

SECURITY HOLOGRAM

An Embedded Hologram™ cannot be removed,

erased, duplicated or simulated by
photocopying, photography or scanning.
 MEDICAL APPLICATION

Brain tumor surgery

Eye surgery
(commonly LASIK)
Quantum processes in Laser:

Three distinct processes can take place.

i) Absorption
ii) Spontaneous emission
iii) Stimulated emission
Absorption and Emission

Atom
1. Absorption

 Energy of photon h=E2-E1 ‘ absorb by atoms in

the lower energy states and excites to higher
energy states.
Einstein Equation for absorption
Nab = B12N1ρ(υ)Δt
 A + h  A*
LASER

Absorption

Energy
Excited State

photon
Ground State
 1. Spontaneous Emission
The process of emission of photons by an excited
atoms by its own , without the influence of external
agent is called spontaneous emission.
A* A + h  Spontaneous Emission
Nsp = A21N2Δt , A* A + h (photon)
LASER

Spontaneous Emission

Energy
Excited State

photon

Ground State
LASER

Spontaneous Emission

Energy

photon
photon

photon
photon

photon photon

Ground State
 3. Stimulated Emission
The process of emission of photons by an excited
atom through a forced or triggered transition

A* + h = A + 2 h
Nst = B21 N2 ρ(υ) Δt
 LASER

Stimulated Emission
Energy

photon photon photon photon

photon Metastable
State

photon

Ground
State
Comparison between Spontaneous and Stimulated Emission

Spontaneous Emission Stimulated Emission

1. Spontaneous emission is a random 1. Not a random process.
and probabilistic process.
2. The process is not controllable from 2. Controllable from outside
outside

3. The resultant light is not 3. Highly monochromatic

monochromatic

4. Light emitted through this process is 4. Highly coherent

incoherent
The net intensity is proportional to the 5. The net intensity is proportional to
number of radiating atoms, thus
I total = NI
the square of number of radiating
Where N – no. of atoms atoms, thus
I - Intensity of light emitted by one Itotal = N2I
photon. Where N – no. of atoms, I -
Intensity of light emitted by one
photon
Condition for Light Amplification
1) Condition for Stimulated emission to dominate
Spontaneous Emission

2) Condition for stimulated emission to dominate

absorption transitions

This condition indicates that Stimulated

transition will overwhelm the absorption process
if N2 is greater than N1. The system must
achieve the state of population inversion .
 Population Inversion
In thermal equilibrium state, N 1 >> N2 which is
governed by Boltzman’s equation
N2 / N1= e- ΔE/kT
Population inversion is a condition in which
population of upper energy level N2 far exceeds the
population of lower energy level N1 i.e. N2
>> N1.

N2
N2

N1 N1

Normal State N 2 << N1 Inverted State N 2 >> N1

Thermal Equilibrium State Population inversion State
 Metastable State
Metastable state can be defined as a state where
excited atom can remain for longer time than the
normal excited state.

Atoms stay in metastable states for about 10-6 to

10-3s. This is 103 to 106 times longer than the
time of stay of atom at excited levels.

If the metastable states do not exist, there could

be no population inversion, no stimulated
emission and hence no laser operation.
Components of Laser

The essential components of Laser are

An active medium
A pumping agent
Optical Resonator
An active medium
A medium in which light gets amplified is called
an active medium.

The medium may be solid , liquid or gas.

Active centres are those atoms which are

responsible for stimulated emission.
Pumping

The process of supplying energy to the medium with

a view to transfer it into the state of population
inversion is known as pumping.

Techniques to achieve the state of population

inversion:
 Optical pumping (used in Ruby Laser)
 Electric discharge (used in He-Ne Laser)
 Direct Conversion (used in Semiconductor
Laser)
Pumping Schemes
Pumping Schemes are Classified as:
Two-level
Three-level and
Four –level schemes.

• Two-level scheme will not lead to laser action.

• Three-level and four-level schemes are
important and widely employed.
 Two Level Pumping Scheme
Pumping radiation excites the ground state atoms.
Induces transitions from the upper level to the
lower level.
Hence, population inversion cannot be attained in
a two-level pumping scheme.

E2
Energy

E1
 Three Level Pumping Scheme
Absorption band
E
Non-radiative
E3 transition

E2
Metastable
state
E
Laser transition

E1 Ground
state

Major disadvantage of a three level scheme 

Efficiency is less
 Four Level Pumping Scheme
E4
Non radiative
transition
E3
Stimulated
Pumping Emission of
Radiation
E2

Natural
depletion

E1
Ground State

Four level lasers are more efficient.

Four level lasers can operate in a Continuous Wave
mode.
Types of LASER
Solid-state lasers – Ruby laser, “Nd:YAG“,
Nd:Glass, lasers etc

Gas lasers - He-Ne, He-Cd, CO2, N2 lasers etc

Semiconductor lasers ( diode lasers)-These

electronic devices are generally very small and
use low power. GaAs, GaAsP
 RUBY LASER
 Ruby Laser is a first solid state laser developed

in 1960 by T.H. Maiman

 Ruby laser rod; a synthetic Ruby crystal of
Al2O3 doped with 0.05% Cr3+ ions.
Fully A helical Partially
Silvered Photographic flash silvered
Mirror lamp filled with Mirror
Xenon

0.5
cm
Coolant 4 cm

Inlet Outlet
H. V.
Power
Supply
Energy level Diagram (Ruby Laser)
E3’
Cr3+ atom absorb
Non radiative
green and blue bands
transition of wave length from
xenon flash lamp &
E3
excited to E3 & E3’
Metastable
state respectively
Energy (ev)

E2
Green
Stimulated Radiative transitions
Blue emission
from E2 to E1 emits 
Pumping
Red photon with peak
E1 near 6943 A0 .
Ground state
 He-Ne Laser
• First gas laser was developed in 1961 by Ali
Javan and his coworkers
LASER

Structure of He Ne Laser

He-Ne Mixture
Partially 100%
Reflecting Reflecting
Mirror Mirror

+ -
Electrodes
 Construction:
Discharge tube of about 50 cm long, 1 cm in
diameter, filled with a mixture of He & Ne gases in
the ratio of 10:1 which is active medium.
Ne-atoms are active centers- have energy levels
suitable for laser transitions
He-atoms is efficient to excite the Ne-atoms.
Energy transfer between He and Ne-atom takes
place through collision and the Ne atoms get
excited.
 Energy Transfer Through Atomic
Collisions :
Laser
Helium Neon transition
F3 E6
20.61eV 20.66eV 3.39 µm
E5
F2 E4
6328Å
1.15 µm
Energy

E3
Spontaneous
E2 emission (6000Å)
Excitation by
collision with De-excitation by
electrons collision with
walls
F1 E1
Energy levels of Helium and Neon atoms and transitions between
the levels.
 Working:
He atoms are excited to levels F2 & F3 – metastable
levels.
E4 & E6 levels in Ne are metastable states 
accumulation of atoms takes place in level E 6 and E4
Population inversion can be achieved between:E 6 a nd
E5, E6 and E3 levels E4 and E3 levels
 E6 E3 transitions; laser beam of red colour at 632.8
nm (6328 A)
 E4 E3 transitions; laser beam at wavelength of 1150
nm(11500 A )
E6 E5 transitions; laser beam in IR region at
3390nm(33900 A)