DYE LASER

A dye laser uses an organic dye as the lasing medium, typically a liquid solution, for a wider
wavelength range of 50 to 100 nanometers. Tunable lasers allow controlled wavelength
adjustments, with only a few types allowing continuous tuning over a significant wavelength range,
whereas all gain media allow small shifts in output wavelength.

CONSTRUCTION:

 This consist of dye cavity which contains an organic dye dissolved

 In same solvent liquid this acts as active medium
 The laser or flash tube acts as source of excitation.
 One of the mirror of the usual resonant cavity is replaced by diffraction grating
 Other mirror is partially transmitting and partially reflecting (98%)
 This forms the optical - resonant cavity.

DYE LASER WORKING:

An organic dye laser consists of singlet and triplet electron states, each containing vibrational and
rotational states. The dye molecules are optically pumped from the ground state to the higher
vibrational rotational levels of singlet state S1. Thermal redistribution in state S1 causes most dye
molecules to jump to the lowest vibrational state of singlet state S1, resulting in fluorescence. The
energy level diagram of an organic dye laser in solution shows the transition from S1 to S0, resulting
in radiation emission.

Intersystem crossing is a non-radioactive transition from state S1 to state T1, determining laser
action. This process reduces the population of molecules in state S1, the upper laser level.
Phosphorescence, the radiative process from T1 to ground state S0, cannot be used for laser
emission due to strong triplet-triplet absorption. To achieve good laser action, a threshold level
should be achieved before a significant number of molecules drop to state T1. A flash lamp can be
used as a source of excitation, as it excites molecules faster than the non-radiative transition to state
T1 from S1.

SEMICONDUCTOR LASER:

PRINCIPLE:

A forward biased p-n junction diode recombinates electrons and holes in the n- and p- regions,
releasing light radiation (photons) from direct band gap semiconductors like Ga-As. This stimulates
the recombination of electrons and holes, resulting in stimulated emission, which produces a laser.
The photons stimulate the recombination process.

WORKING:

When a PN junction is forward biased with a large applied voltage, electrons and holes are injected
into the region, resulting in a population inversion. This results in the recombination of electrons and
holes, producing light. As the forward biased voltage increases, more light photons are emitted,
triggering a chain of stimulated recombination, resulting in the release of photons in phase. This
process is crucial for the production of light.
CONSTRUCTION:

A semiconductor laser is a highly doped p-n junction device made from Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)
that emits coherent light when forward biased. These lasers are small, efficient, portable, and
operate at low power. The p and n regions are made from the same semiconductor material, with a p
type region formed on the n type by doping zinc atoms. The diode chip is about 500 micrometer
long, 100 micrometer wide, and thick, with metal contacts on the top and bottom faces and polished
front and rare faces for the resonator. Equilibrium is achieved when high doped p and n regions are
joined at the atomic level, with the fermi level pushing inside the conduction band in the n type and
the valence band in the p type.

FREE ELECTRONS AND HOLES

A hole is the absence of an electron in an atom, which can be passed between atoms in a
semiconductor material. Electrons orbit the nucleus at energy levels called bands or shells, and a
hole forms when an electron moves from the valence band to the conduction band. Both electrons
and holes are present in any semiconductor substance, with electrons flowing from minus to plus
and holes flowing from plus to minus. The more abundant charge carriers are called majority
carriers, while the less abundant are called minority carriers. In N-type semiconductor material,
electrons are the majority carriers and holes are the minority carriers, while in P-type material, the
opposite is true.

NITROGEN LASER:

Construction:

The Active Medium ( or Nitrogen laser gain Medium )

Pumping device
A resonant cavity
Population inversion in nitrogen laser

It consists of a tube formed by two electrodes connected to the discharge voltage source (~ 10-40
keV). The active medium in the form of Nitrogen molecules in the gaseous phase is placed between
these two electrodes. The arrangement is enclosed in a resonant cavity formed by two planes and
parallel mirrors M1 and M2. Mirror M1 is a perfectly reflecting mirror, while mirror M2 is a partially
reflecting mirror through which pulse the laser comes out.

Population inversion in nitrogen laser:

Population inversion in nitrogen lasers is achieved through electric discharge pumping. The applied
voltage creates an electric field within the tube, which accelerates electrons within the gas, colliding
with the gas atom or gain medium and excitation them to higher energy levels. If the atom in the
lower-lying energy level transitions faster than the atom in the higher-lying energy level, population
inversion in gases occurs, resulting in more atoms in the higher energy level.

ACTIVE MEDIUM
A Nitrogen laser is a device that uses an active medium, which is a form of nitrogen molecules. The
active medium must have two energy levels separated by a certain amount of energy, with the
higher level being an upper energy level and the low energy level being a ground state. It must also
allow population inversion between two energy levels.

PUMPING

A pumping device is an external source of energy that provides the necessary energy to the active
medium, allowing population inversion essential for lasing action.

RESONANT CAVITY

A resonant cavity is a pair of plane or spherical mirrors placed parallel to each other at the end of the
active medium, one being a fully reflecting mirror and the other a partially transmitting mirror.

WORKING OF NITROGEN LASER:

The energy level diagram of a nitrogen molecule in the gaseous phase shows each energy level
consisting of vibrational energy levels based on internuclear separation. The nitrogen molecule is
excited from ground state E1 to energy level 3 (upper laser label ULL) by direct collision with
electrons in the discharge tube. It then falls from energy level E3 (lower laser level LLL) by emitting a
photon of ultraviolet light of wavelength 337.1 nm. The lifetime of the upper energy level is less than
the lower energy level lifetime. The output of a nitrogen laser is in the form of pulses, with a narrow
pulse width due to a laser transition. The nitrogen molecule then falls from energy level E2 to the
ground state, making it a self-terminating laser.

NEODYMIUM LASER

CONSTRUCTION:

ENERGY SOURCE:

The Nd: YAG laser uses light energy sources like flashtubes or laser diodes to achieve population
inversion. Flashtubes were once used due to their low cost, but laser diodes are now preferred due
to their high efficiency and low cost. This makes them a cost-effective and efficient pump source.

The Nd:YAG laser uses a synthetic crystalline material (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) doped with a
chemical element (neodymium) to provide lasing action. The lower energy state electrons of
neodymium ions are excited to the higher energy state, forming the active medium. The Nd:YAG
crystal is placed between two optically coated mirrors, one fully silvered and the other partially
silvered. The fully silvered mirror completely reflects light, while the partially silvered mirror reflects
most of the light but allows a small portion to pass through to produce the laser beam.

WORKING

The Nd:YAG laser is a four-level laser system that uses light energy sources to generate photons or
light. The system involves excited lower energy state electrons in neodymium ions to achieve
population inversion. The active medium consists of four energy levels: E1, E2, E3, and E4. The
initial population is N1 > N2 > N3 > N4.
When light energy is supplied to the active medium, the electrons gain enough energy to move to
the pump state or higher energy state E. The pump state has a short lifetime, allowing electrons to
stay for a short period. After a short period, they fall into the lower energy state or metastable state
E3, releasing non-radiation energy. The metastable state E3 has a higher lifetime than the pump
state E4, allowing electrons to reach E3 faster. This results in population inversion, as the number of
electrons in E3 increases.

Energy in E3 falls into the lower energy state E2 by releasing photons or light, known as
spontaneous emission. Stimulated emission requires external photons or light to be supplied to the
active medium. The light generated bounces back and forth between two mirrors, stimulating other
electrons to fall into the lower energy state and releasing photons. The light is reflected multiple
times before escaping through a partially reflecting mirror.