Laser is an optical device that generates intense beam of coherent monochromatic light by stimulated emission of radiation.

Laser light is different from an ordinary light. It has various unique properties such as coherence,
monochromacity,
directionality, and high intensity. Because of these unique properties, lasers are used in various applications.

The most significant applications of lasers include:

a)Lasers in medicine
b)Lasers in communications
c)Lasers in industries
d)Lasers in military
 Lasers in Medicine

i. Lasers are used for bloodless surgery.

ii. Lasers are used to destroy kidney stones.
iii.Lasers are used in cancer diagnosis and therapy.
iv. Lasers are used for eye lens curvature corrections.
v. Lasers are used in fiber-optic endoscope to detect ulcers in the intestines.
vi.The liver and lung diseases could be treated by using lasers.
vii.Lasers are used to study the internal structure of microorganisms and cells.
viii.Lasers are used to produce chemical reactions.
ix.Lasers are used to create plasma.
x. Lasers are used to remove tumors successfully.
xi.Lasers are used to remove the caries or decayed portion of the teeth.
xii.Lasers are used in cosmetic treatments such as acne treatment, cellulite and hair removal.
 Lasers in Communications
i. Laser light is used in optical fiber communications to send information over large distances with low loss.

ii. Laser light is used in underwater communication networks.

iii. Lasers are used in space communication, radars and satellites.

 Lasers in Industries

i. Lasers are used to cut glass and quartz.

ii. Lasers are used in electronic industries for trimming the components of Integrated Circuits (ICs).
iii. Lasers are used for heat treatment in the automotive industry.
iv. Laser light is used to collect the information about the prefixed prices of various products in shops and business
establishments from the bar code printed on the product.
v.

v. Ultraviolet lasers are used in the semiconductor industries for photolithography. Photolithography is the method used for
manufacturing printed circuit board (PCB) and microprocessor by using ultraviolet light.
vi Lasers are used to drill aerosol nozzles and control orifices within the required precision.
i. Laser range finders are used to determine the distance to an object.
ii The ring laser gyroscope is used for sensing and measuring very small angle of rotation of the moving objects.
.
Lasers can be used as a secretive illuminators for reconnaissance during night with high precision.
iii
iv.
. Lasers are used to dispose the energy of a warhead by damaging the missile.
v. Laser light is used in LIDAR’s to accurately measure the distance to an object.
 W hat i s M eant by Populat io n Invers io n??

 It is the condition required for light amplification.

 Non-Equilibrium distribution of atoms among various energy levels of the atomic system.
 The Boltzmann distribution which applies to the
system in thermal equilibrium is.,

g j N 0 exp(E j /
Nj  kT)
 g exp(E / kT) th
i i

Where., N j =Population Intensity of the j energy level

If Ej increases Nj decreases with

constant tempurature
Po pulat io ns of two level energy systems

After population
At thermal equilibrium inversion has
been produced
 P u m p ing
• If the energy difference between E1 and E2 is equals
to kT(nearly 0.025eV at room temp).
• Then the population inversion of the upper level would be 1/e(0.37) of that of the lower level.
• For large energy difference then visible radiation will be(2.0eV).then population of the upper level is negligible.
• So to achieve population inversion we need to
supply large amount of energy to excite atoms into
E2.

• This process named as “PUMPING”.

• This pumping energy can be supplied by using laser technologies.

• Pumping produces the non-equilibrium situation.
 A tta in ment of populat io n in vers io n

• Main method used to achieve this population

inversion is “stimulated absorption”
• The energy levels are pumped by intense irradiation of the system.
• Assume g1 = g2 .then further absorption and emissions are equal.(two level)
• For three level system proposed by bloembergen. Initially it obeys boltzmann’s law.
• If the collection of atoms is illumination the electrons can be excited(i.e pumped) into E2 form
E0 .
 Cont.
.
• From E2 electrons decay by non-radiative
processes to the level E1 and Population
inversion created b/w E1 and E0 .

Boltzmann distribution distribution after pumping

before pumping and the transitions

• E2 to E1 =rapid transition.
• E1 to E0 =slow transition.(E1 is metastable state)
• This will create the built-up of atoms in E1 then population inversion achieved b/wE1 and E0 . ( N1 > N0 )
• Examples :ruby –requires very high pump powers.
F our level system

Before pumping After pumping

 Cont.
.
• It has less pumping requirements.
• If ( E1 – E0 ) is very large compare to kT then populations at E1 , E2 and E3 are very small at
thermal equilibrium.
• If atoms pumped to E3 from ground state from rapid transition occur to E2. population inversion
achieved b/w E2 and E1 .
• If lifetime is short between E3  E2 and E1  E0 are short population inversion
maintained between E2 &E1 .
 O ther ways to ach ie ve pump in g

• Optical pumping
• Electrical discharge or electron bombardment.
• The release of chemical energy.
• The passage of current.
Different Types Of
Lasers
On the basis of active medium used in the laser
systems, lasers are classified into several types:
1). Solid lasers : Ruby laser
2). Gas laser : He-Ne
Ruby
Laser:
Ruby laser is a three level solid state laser and was constructed by Main-mann in
1960. Ruby (Al2O3+Cr2O3) is a crystal of Aluminium oxide, in which 0.05% of Al+3
ions are replaced by the Cr+3 ions. The colour of the rod is pink. The active medium
in the ruby rod is Cr+3 ions.
Construction Of Ruby
Laser:
In ruby laser 4cm length and 5mm diameter rod is generally used. Both the ends of the rods are highly polished and
made strictly parallel. The ends are silvered in such a way, one becomes partially reflected and the other end fully
reflected. The ruby rod is surrounded by xenon flash tube, which provides the pumping light to excite the chromium
ions in to upper energy levels.

Xenon flash tube emits thousands joules of energy in few mile seconds, but only a part of that energy is utilized by the
chromium ions while the rest energy heats up the apparatus. A cooling arrangement is provided to keep the experimental
set up at normal temperatures
Uses of ruby laser:

1. Ruby lasers are in optical photography.

2. Ruby lasers can be used for measurement of plasma properties such as
electron density and
temperature.
3. Ruby lasers are used to remove the melanin of the skin.
4. Ruby laser can be used for recording of holograms.

Drawbacks of ruby laser:

5. The laser requires high pumping power.
6. The efficiency of ruby laser is very small.
7. It is a pulse laser
He-Ne
Laser:
Ruby laser is a pulse laser, even it have high intense out put. For continuous laser
beam gas lasers are used. Using gas lasers, we can achieve highly coherence, high
directionality and high monochromacity beam. The out put power of the gas laser
is generally in few mile watts. The first He-Ne gas laser was fabricated by Ali Javan
and William R. Bennett, Jr.
Construction
:Ithe
n He-Ne gas laser, the He and Ne gases are taken in the ratio 10:1 in
discharge tube. Two reflecting mirrors are fixed on either ends of
the discharge tube, in that, one is partially reflecting and the other is
fully reflecting. In He-Ne laser 80cm length and 1cm diameter discharge
is generally used. The out power of these lasers depends on the length
of the discharge tube and pressure of the gas mixture.
Uses Of He-Ne Laser:

1. Blood analysis.
2. Tool alignment.
3. Non-contact measuring and monitoring.

Drawbacks Of He-Ne Laser:

1. It is relatively low power device means its output power is low.
2. He-Ne laser is low gain system/ device.
3. To obtain single wavelength laser light, the other two wavelengths of laser
need suppression,
which is done by many techniques and devices.
Optical Properties of
Semiconductors
•The gain, a b s o r p t i o n c o e f f i c i e n t , an d r e f r a c t i v e i n d e x d e p e n d o n t h e e l e c t r o n / h o l e
concentrations.

• Electron/hole concent rat ion can b e c al cu la t e d f r o m

– The d e n s i t y o f s t a t e s
– The p r o b a b i l i t y o f o c c u p a n c y
Density of states of a
“ bulk ” material
( parabolic bands;
more latter about
non - bulk materials
such as QWs and
QDs ) .
Joint density of states
Semiconductor laser =
semiconductor material + optical
cavity
The simplest cavity: Fabry - Perot
(FP), formed by the cleaved
facets of the semiconductor
Edge - Emitting laser (EEL)
material.
Vertical - cavity laser (VCSEL)
Semiconductor laser
Energy Band Diagram for p-n junction
Construction
Active medium: The active medium is
GaAs. But is commonly said that the
depletion region is the active
medium in semiconductor lasers.
The thickness of the depletion layer
is usually very small (0.1 u m)
Pumping Source
Forward biasing is used as a pumping source. The p - n junction is made forward-
biased that is p side is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the
n side to the negative. Under the influence of forward biased electric field,
conduction electrons will be injected from n side into the junction area, while
holes will enter the junction from
the p side. Thus, there will again
be a recombination of holes
and electrons in the depletion
region and thus depletion
region becomes thinner.
Optical resonator system
The t w o faces of the semiconductor which are perpendicular t o the junction
plane make a resonant cavity: the top and bottom faces of the diode, which
are parallel t o the junction plane are metallised so as t o make external
connections. The front
and back faces are roughened
t o suppress the oscillations
in an unwanted direction.
Example of semiconductor
laser
One of the examples of semiconductor lasers is gallium arsenide (GaAs). It is a
heavily doped semiconductor. Its n-region is formed by heavily doping with
tellurium in a concentration of 3 x 10 ^18 t o 5 x 10 ^18 atoms/ cm^3 while
its p-region is formed by
doping with zinc in
concentration around 10
^19 atoms/ cm^3