What is Laser?

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

• A device produces a coherent beam of optical

radiation by stimulating electronic, ionic, or
molecular transitions to higher energy levels
• When they return to lower energy levels by
stimulated emission, they emit energy.

Spontaneous emission Stimulated emission

Unique properties of LASER
•Highly Monochromatic
•Highly Coherent
•Well Collimated Beam
•Directional
•High Power
Due to these unique properties LASER has found wider applications in
various field of commercial and research area.
Coherent & Incoherent
 Incandescent vs. Laser Light

1. Many wavelengths 1. Monochromatic

2. Multidirectional 2. Directional
3. Incoherent 3. Coherent

4
 Basic concepts for a laser
3 Quantum Processes
• Stimulated Absorption

• Spontaneous Emission

• Stimulated Emission
 Absorption

• Energy is absorbed by an atom, the electrons

are excited into vacant energy shells.
 Spontaneous Emission

• The atom decays from level 2 to level 1

through the emission of a photon with the
energy hv. It is a completely random process.
 Stimulated Emission

Atoms in an upper energy level can be triggered or

stimulated in phase by an incoming photon of a specific
energy.
 Stimulated Emission
The stimulated photons have unique properties:

– In phase with the incident photon

– Same wavelength as the incident photon
– Travel in same direction as incident photon
Light: Coherent, polarized
Absorption Before After

Unexcited Excited
molecule molecule

Spontaneous
Emission

Stimulated
Emission
 Stimulated emission leads to a
chain reaction and laser emission.
If a medium has many excited molecules, one photon can become
many.
Excited medium

This is the essence of the laser. The factor by which an input beam
is amplified by a medium is called the gain and is represented by G.
 Energy level diagram
• The possible energies which electrons in the
atom can have is depicted in an energy level
diagram.
E4
E3
E2

E1
 Condition for the laser operation
If n1 > n2 E2
• radiation is mostly absorbed
• spontaneous radiation dominates. E1
Thermal excitation:
n2  E 
 exp  
n1  kT 
n2 >> n1 at Room Temperature Is Impossible. Only achievable at Negative
Temperatures
If n2 >> n1 - Population Inversion
• most atoms occupy level E2, weak absorption
E2
• stimulated emission prevails

• light is amplified E1
Necessary condition:
Population Inversion
 Population Inversion
• A state in which a substance has been energized, or
excited to specific energy levels.
• More atoms or molecules are in a higher excited state.
• The process of producing a population inversion is
called pumping.
• Examples:
→by lamps of appropriate intensity
→by electrical discharge
Two level system

E2 E2

h h
h

h=E2-E1
E1 E1

absorption Spontaneous Stimulated

emission
emission

• Unimaginable
as absorption and stimulated processes
neutralize one another.
• The material becomes transparent.
 Three level laser
E3 Fast transition

E2

Laser action

E1

• 13 pumping - occupation of E3 of a short life time, 10-8s. It is a

band, the metastable and ground states are narrow.
• spontaneous emission 3 2- electrons are collected on E2:
• population inversion between states 2 and 1-state 2 is a
metastable
• stimulated emission between 2 & 1 (one photon emitted
spontaneously starts the stimulated radiation )
• Laser emission between 2 & 1(Beam of photons moves normally
to the mirrors – standing wave.)
Three-level Laser System…..

• Initially excited to a
short-lived high-energy
state .
• Then quickly decay to
the intermediate
metastable level.
• Population inversion is
created between lower
ground state and a
higher-energy
metastable state.
Four-level Laser System

• Laser transition takes

place between the third
and second excited
states.

• Rapid depopulation of
the lower laser level.
 Two-, three-, and four-level systems
It took laser physicists a while to realize that four-level systems are
best.

Three-level Four-level
Two-level
Molecules system system
system
accumulate in
this level. Fast decay Fast decay

Pump
Pump Laser Pump Transition Laser
Laser
Transit Transit Transition Transition
Transition
ion ion

Fast decay
Level
empties
At best, you get fast!
equal populations. If you hit it hard, you get Lasing is easy!
lasing.
No lasing.
 Optical Resonator
• Two parallel mirrors placed around the gain
medium.
• Light is reflected by the mirrors back into the
medium and is amplified .
• The design and alignment of the mirrors with
respect to the medium is crucial.
• Spinning mirrors, modulators, filters and
absorbers may be added to produce a variety
of effects on the laser output.
 Ruby Laser- Construction

• A pump source

• A gain medium or laser medium.

• Mirrors forming an optical resonator.

 Ruby Laser Construction
• According to the active material:
solid-state, liquid, gas, excimer or
semiconductor lasers.

• According to the wavelength:

infra-red, visible, ultra-violet (UV) or x-ray
lasers.
Ruby laser
• discovered in 60-ies of the XX century.
• ruby (Al2O3) monocrystal, Cr doped.
 Ruby laser-Working
In Ruby Laser Al2O3 is a host material and Cr3+ is an Active
medium .
Laser Energy level diagram

• Optical pumping: 510-

4
T1 600nm and 360-450nm.
2
T2 • fast transition on 2E.
• lasing: 2E on 4A2,
Energy

rapid decay
4
T2
E
• 694nm
2

LASING
4
A2
 Solid-state Laser
• Example: Ruby Laser
• Operation wavelength: 694.3 nm (IR)
• 3 level system: absorbs green/blue

•Gain Medium: crystal of aluminum oxide (Al2O3)

with small part of atoms of aluminum is replaced
with Cr3+ ions.
•Pump source: flash lamp
•The ends of ruby rod serve as laser mirrors.
Ruby laser-Output

First laser: Ted Maiman

Hughes Research Labs
1960
 Laser Output
Continuous Output (CW) Output (P)- Spikes

Energy (Joules)
Energy (Watts)

                       

Time Time
watt (W) - Unit of power or radiant flux (1 watt = 1 joule per second).
Joule (J) - A unit of energy
Energy (Q) The capacity for doing work. Energy content is commonly used to characterize the output
from pulsed lasers and is generally expressed in Joules (J).
Irradiance (E) - Power per unit area, expressed in watts per square centimeter. 28
 Gas Laser
• Example: Helium-neon laser (He-Ne laser)
• Operation wavelength: 632.8 nm
• Pump source: electrical discharge
• Gain medium : ratio 10:1 mixture of helium and neon gases
 Laser Construction

Gas lasers consist of a gas filled tube placed in the

laser cavity. A voltage (the external pump source) is
applied to the tube to excite the atoms in the gas to
a population inversion. The light emitted from this
type of laser is normally continuous wave (CW). 30
Fundamentals of Laser
Operation-He-Ne

31
 He-Ne laser-Working

1  3.39 μm 2  0.6328μm 3  1.15 μm

Laser Applications:-
Scientific
•Spectroscopy
• Non Linear Optics
• Raman Spectroscopy
• Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy(LIBS)
• Super Resolution Spectroscopy
• Confocal Microscopy
• Optical Coherence Tomography(OCT)
•Space technology
•Nuclear Fusion Reactors
•Astronomy
Industrial/Commercial
•Optical Storage (CD/DVD)
•Reading Barcodes
•LASER Printers
•Engineering
•Welding
•Cutting
•Soldering
•Drilling
•Cladding
•Power Beaming
•Photolithography
• Laser light display
Medical science
•Surgical Applications
•LASIK in eye surgery
•Soft tissue surgery
•Endoscopic surgery
•Dermatology
•Laparoscopy
•Photodynamic therapy
 Applications of laser
4. Military
a. Death ray
b. Defensive applications
c. Strategic defense initiative
d. Laser sight
e. Illuminator
f. Rangefinder
g. Target designator
 Types of Laser Hazards
1. Eye : Acute exposure of the eye to lasers of certain
wavelengths and power can cause corneal or retinal burns
(or both). Chronic exposure to excessive levels may cause
corneal or lenticular opacities (cataracts) or retinal injury.
2. Skin : Acute exposure to high levels of optical radiation
may cause skin burns; while carcinogenesis may occur for
ultraviolet wavelengths (290-320 nm).
3. Chemical : Some lasers require hazardous or toxic
substances to operate (i.e., chemical dye, Excimer lasers).
4. Electrical : Most lasers utilize high voltages that can be
lethal.
5. Fire : The solvents used in dye lasers are flammable. High
voltage pulse or flash lamps may cause ignition.
Flammable materials may be ignited by direct beams or
specular reflections from high power continuous wave
(CW) infrared lasers.