Concept of

Four-Level
Laser
Group 5:
Aashima Sehgal Vriddhi Agarwal
Shivika Mittal Ghazal Johri
Kritika Panjanani Iha Mittal
Bhvya Gupta Ansh Gupta
Shreya Tiwari
Introduction
In the four level laser system, the atoms from
ground state E1 are raised to excited state E4
with the help of pumping. From the E4, the
atoms decay to energy state E3 by spontaneous
emission. The transition rate of atoms from E4
to E3 is much faster as compared to transition
rate of atoms from E3 to E2. This is due to the
reason that E4 is an excited state with life time
of the atoms of the order of 10-8 seconds.
Overview Of
Four Level
Laser
 A 4-level laser is one in which four energy levels are
involved. In a four-level laser, the laser transition
finishes in an initially unoccupied state F, having started
in state I, which is not the ground state. As state F is
initially unoccupied, any population in I constitutes
population inversion. Thus, laser action is possible if I is
sufficiently metastable. If transitions from F to the
ground state G are rapid, population inversion is
maintained

A lower threshold pump power can be achieved with

a four-level laser medium, where the lower laser
level is well above the ground state and is quickly
depopulated, eg, by multi-phonon transitions. In that
way, reabsorption of the laser radiation is avoided.
This means that there is no absorption of the gain
medium in the unpumped state, and the gain usually
rises linearly with the absorbed pump power
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How does four level laser works?
 In the four level laser system, the atoms from
ground state E1 are raised to excited state E4 with
the help of pumping.

 By spontaneous emission atoms decay to E3 energy

state. The transition rate of atoms from E4 to E3 is
much faster as compared to atoms from E3 to E2.

 This is due to the reason that E4 is an excited state

with life time of the atoms of the order of 10-8
seconds.
 E3 is the metastable state. Thus the number of
atoms in E3 exceeds the number of atoms in E2.

 The population inversion is achieved between

E3 and E2.

 The laser action takes place between E3 and E2

by stimulated emission. 

 The atoms from energy state E2 get deexcited to

E1. The atoms from E1 are again pumped to E4.

 Example: Helium-Neon laser is four level laser

system.
Energy Level
Diagram
Energy level diagram
• The excitation/pump energy elevates atoms
to a short lived uppermost energy level E4
from where the atoms drop spontaneously to
the metastable energy level E3

• An impetus of energy, hν= E3 – E2 can

initiate a chain of stimulated emissions,
which results in the laser transition from E3
to E2

• The atoms reaching at the energy level E2

lose the rest of their excess energy by
radiative or non-radiative transitions and
finally fall to the ground state E1
• The schematic energy level diagram of a four level laser is shown in the figure below.
Compared to the equivalent diagram of a three level laser, there is an extra energy level above
the ground state. This extra energy level has a very short lifetime.

• The pumping operation of a four level laser is similar to the pumping of a three level laser. This
is done by a rapid population of the upper laser level (E3), through the higher energy level (E4).

• To create population inversion, there is no need to pump more than 50% of the atoms to the
upper laser level.
Advantages of 4-level laser
The advantage of the four-level laser is the low
population of the lower laser energy level (E2). To
create population inversion, there is no need to pump
more than 50% of the atoms to the upper laser level.

The population of the lower laser level (N2(t)) is

decaying rapidly to the ground state, so practically it
is empty. Thus, a continuous operation of the four-
level laser is possible even if 99% of the atoms
remain in the ground state.

Three level lasers operate in pulsed mode. while the

four-level lasers can operate in a continuous wave
mode. it is due to the population inversion and the
more exited atom in metastable state.
Disadvantages of 4-level laser
A lower threshold pump power can be achieved with a
four-level laser medium, where the lower laser level is
well above the ground state and is quickly depopulated.
This means that there is no absorption of the gain medium
in the unpumped state,

Major disadvantage of this system is that the lower lasing

transition level in the four-level scheme is not the ground
state and is virtually vacant. It is required less pumping
energy than a three-level laser system

Further, the lifetime of the lower lasing level is shorter as

it is not a metastable state. Hence atom in level E2 quickly
drops to the ground state. This depletion of the E2 energy
level helps sustain the population inversion by avoiding
and accumulation of atoms in the lower lasing level.
Applications of 4
level laser
Helium-Neon laser is
four level laser system.
Thorlabs offers HeNe lasers with
output powers ranging from 0.8 mW to
22.5 mW at 632.8 nm (red), with either
linearly or randomly polarized output
beams. We also offer stabilized HeNe
lasers, which allow for either
frequency or intensity stabilization.
Mounting solutions for these HeNe
lasers include a clamp mount, cage
system mount, a kinematic V-mount,
and fiber and SM-threaded adapters.
HeNe Lasers: Red

 OPERATING
LIFETIMES UP
TO 40,000 HOURS
 OUTPUT
POWERS FROM
0.8 MW TO 22.5
MW
 LOW-INTENSITY
NOISE
Some  applications of RED HeNe Lasers

DNA Flow
Applications Metrology Food Sorting
Sequencing Cytometry

Maritime
Imaging and
Confocal Opacity Visual
Medical Alignment
Microscopy Monitoring Guidance
Equipment
Systems

Semiconductor Polarization
Hematology
Inspection Experiments
Conclusion
We learned about the concept
of four level laser

The advantages and

disadvantages of this energy
level system

Also, we got to know that a

four-level laser is better than a
three-level laser in many
aspects
Bibliography
 https://www.britannica.com/technology/f
our-level-laser

 https://winnerscience.com/four-level-lase
r/

 https://www.physics-and-radio-electronic
s.com/physics/laser/laser-populationinve
rsion.html

 https://winnerscience.com/four-level-lase
r/

 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sche
matic-view-of-a-four-level-laser-system_
fig1_7525971

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