Principle, Working and

Applications Of LASER

(Dr. Khan)
Assistant professor of Physics and
Mathematics.
 Principles of working of a laser

In lasers, photons are interacted in three ways with the

atoms:

1. Absorption of radiation

2. Spontaneous emission

3. Stimulated emission
 Absorption of radiation.
Absorption of radiation is the process by which electrons in the ground state absorbs
energy from photons to jump into the higher energy level.
 Spontaneous emission.
Spontaneous emission is the process by which electrons in the excited state return to
the ground state by emitting photons.
The electrons in the excited state can stay only for a short period. The time up to
which an excited electron can stay at higher energy state (E2) is known as the lifetime
of excited electrons. The lifetime of electrons in excited state is 10-8 s. However, there
are some states for which T is much longer, perhaps 10-3 s. We call such states
metastable; they play an essential role in laser operation.
 Stimulated emission.
Stimulated emission is the process by which an incoming photon of a specific
frequency can interact with an excited atomic electron causing it to drop to a
lower energy level. In stimulated emission, two photons are emitted (one additional
photon is emitted), one is due to the incident photon and another one is due to the
energy release of excited electron. Thus, two photons are emitted.
 Working and theory.
Figure shows schematically how a population inversion can be achieved so that laser action or
“lasing”. Atoms from the ground state E1, are “pumped” up to an excited state E3; for example,
by the absorption of energy from an intense light source that surrounds the lasing material.
From E3 the atoms decay rapidly to a state of energy E2. For lasing to occur this state must be
metastable; that is, it must have a relatively long mean life against decay by spontaneous
emission. If conditions are right, state E2, can then become more heavily populated than state
E1, thus providing the needed population inversion. A stray photon of the right energy can then
trigger an avalanche of stimulated emission events, resulting in the production of laser light.
 Applications
1). Common Daily Laser Applications

 Compact disk
 Laser printer
 Optical computer
 Bar code scanner
 Fiber optic communications
 Free space communications
 Holograms

2). Military Laser Applications

 Laser range-finder

 Target designation

 Laser weapons

 Laser blinding
3). Medical Laser Applications

 Surgery:
o Eyes
o General
o Dentistry
o Dermatology

4). Laser Applications to Scientific Research

 Basic Scientific Research

 Spectroscopy

 Nuclear Fusion

 Short Pulses, Study of Fast Processes

5). Industrial Laser Applications

 Measurements

 Straight Lines

 Material Processing

 Spectral Analysis

6). Special Laser Applications

 Energy Transport

 Fiber Lasers
Doppler Effect Doppler Effect
 The Doppler effect is the shift in frequency and wavelength of waves that results
from a moving source and/or moving observer relative to the wave medium
 Consider a point source of traveling waves (a siren) at some frequency f0
 We have λ=V/f0 where V is the wave velocity and V depends on the characteristics
of the medium alone
 A source moving towards an observer with velocity vs
The observer sees wave fronts that are “squeezed” in the direction of vs but the
wave velocity remains unchanged

vs V  vs
    
f0 f0
V  V  f0
f   f 0   
  V  vs  1  vs
V
Doppler Effect Doppler Effect
Doppler Effect Doppler Effect
 In the case of light waves Classical, moving source
 Classical, moving source

f0
f 
V
1
 Classical, moving observer c
 V
f  1   f 0
 c
 Makes sense, the frequency is higher if observer and source
approach each other and lower if they are receding
 Doppler Effect

This is a classical calculation

There is an asymmetry between moving source and
moving observer
o Moving source
f0  V V2 
f   1   2  ...  f 0
V  c c 
1
c
o Moving observer

 V
f  1   f 0
 c
Doppler effect and Red shift