Aim: To determine the wavelength of He-Ne Laser

Apparatus: He-Ne Laser (2mW), Laser Power Supply, transmission grating (300
lines per mm), grating holder.

Formula:

mλ=d sinθm

where m is the order of the spot

λ is the wavelength of the laser beam (nm)
d is the reciprocal of grating element
xm is the distance between the zero order spot and first order spot in nm
f is the distance between the screen and the grating
θm is the angular displacement from the centre of the central maxima to the
mth order
Diagram:

Fig.1 Wavelength of He-Ne Laser using Plane transmission grating

 Grating

In the above figure if ‘a’ is the space between the lines and ‘b’ is the width of the line, the ‘a+b’ is

the grating element. Hence the grating element (a+b) = 1/ N

Where, N is the number of lines per mm

 Figure 2. Different orders of the diffracted light

Figure 3. Calculation of angular displacement from the centre of the central maxima to the
m order
th
Principle:

LASER is an abbreviation of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of

Radiation. The basic principle of a laser is based on three separate features: 1) stimulated
emission within an amplifying medium (2) population inversion (3) optical resonator
cavity. Helium-Neon (He-Ne) laser is a type of gas laser in which a mixture of helium
and neon gas is used as an active or gain medium and electrical pumping is used to
achieve population inversion. He-Ne laser works by exciting the atoms of helium and
neon gas in a gas discharge tube to a higher energy level and then stimulating the
emission of photons as they return to their ground state. This process is
called stimulated emission, and it produces a coherent and monochromatic beam of
light that bounces back and forth between two mirrors in a cavity resonator until it is
released through an output coupler.
Construction of He-Ne Laser:

He-Ne laser consists of a long discharge tube filled with a mixture of helium

and neon gases in the ratio 10:1. Neon atoms are the active centers and have energy levels

suitable for laser transitions while helium atoms help in exciting neon atoms. Electrodes

are provided in the discharge tube to produce discharge in the gas. They are connected to

a high voltage power supply.

The tube is hermetically sealed by inclined windows arranged at its two

ends. On the axis of the tube, two mirrors are arranged externally, which form the

Fabry-Perot optical resonator. The distance between the mirrors is adjusted to be m

λ/2 such that the resonator supports standing wave pattern.

Figure 4. The energy levels of He and Ne.
Theory:
Working of He-Ne laser:
The Pumping Mechanism:
•When the power is switched on, a high voltage of about 10 kV is applied across the gas
mixture. It ionizes the gas.
•The electrons and ions produced in the process of discharge are accelerated towards the anode
and cathode respectively. They collide with helium and neon atoms on the way.
• The energetic electrons excite helium atoms more readily, as they are lighter.

• One of the excited levels of helium F 2(2s) is at 20.61 eV above the ground level. It is a
metastable level and the excited helium atom cannot return to the ground level through
spontaneous emission.
•However, the excited helium atom can return to the ground level by transferring its excess energy to a

neon atom through collision. Such an energy transfer can take place when the two
colliding atoms have identical energy levels. Such an energy transfer is known as
resonant energy transfer.
The neon energy level E5(5s) is at 20.66eV, which is close to the excited energy

level F2 of helium atom. Therefore, resonant transfer of energy occurs between

the excited helium atom and ground level neon atom.
• The Kinetic Energy of helium atoms provides the additional 0.05 eV required for excitation of

the neon atoms.

•Helium atoms drop to the ground state after exciting neon atoms. This is the pumping
mechanism in He-Ne laser.
Population Inversion
•The upper state of neon atom E5 is a metastable state. Therefore, neon atoms
accumulate in this upper state. The E 3 (3p) level is sparsely populated at ordinary
temperatures.
•As the population at the higher energy level E 5 is greater than the population at the
lower level E3, a state of population inversion is established between E 5 and E3
levels.
Lasing Action
•Random photons of red colour of wavelength 6328 Å are emitted spontaneously by a
few of the atoms at the energy level E 5.
• The spontaneous photons traveling through the gas mixture prompt stimulated
emission of photons of red colour of wavelength 6328 Å.
The photons bounce back and forth between the end mirrors, causing more and more
stimulated emission during each passage.
•photons traveling along the axis of the optical cavity (discharge tube) builds up

rapidly while the photons traveling at angles to the axis are lost.

•Thus, the transition E5 → E3 generates a laser beam of wavelength 6328 Å.

• From the level E3 the neon atoms drop to E2 (3s) level spontaneously.

• E2 level is a metastable state. Consequently, neon atoms tend to accumulate at E 2

level.

•Neon atoms return to the ground state E1 through frequent collisions with the walls

of the glass tube holding the helium-neon gas mixture.

•The neon atoms are once again available for excitation to higher state and

participate in lasing action.

•The neon atoms are excited to the upper lasing level continuously through

collisions. As the population inversion can be maintained in the face of

continuous laser emission, the laser operates in continuous wave mode.

Role of helium atoms

The role of helium atoms in the laser is to excite neon atoms and to cause

population inversion. The probability of energy transfer from helium

atoms to neon atoms is more, as there are 10 helium atoms per 1 neon

atom in the gas mixture. The probability of reverse transfer of energy from

neon to helium atom is negligible.

Necessity of narrow glass tube

During the operation of the laser, it is necessary that the atoms accumulating at

the metastable level E2 are brought to the ground state E1(2p) quickly;

otherwise the number of atoms at the ground state will go on diminishing and

the laser ceases to function. The only way of bringing the atoms to the ground

state is through collisions. Therefore, to increase the probability of atomic

collisions with the tube walls, the discharge tube is made narrow.
Salient Features of He-Ne laser:

● Uses four-level pumping scheme

● The active centers are neon atoms

● Electrical discharge is the pumping agent

● Low efficiency and low power output

● Operates in CW (continuous wave) mode

In He-Ne laser, neon atoms are the active centers and have energy levels suitable for

laser transitions while helium atoms help in exciting neon atoms. The glass tube

(containing a mixture of helium and neon gas) is placed between two parallel mirrors.

These two mirrors are silvered or optically coated.

Each mirror is silvered differently. The left side mirror is partially silvered and is known

as output coupler whereas the right side mirror is fully silvered and is known as the high

reflector or fully reflecting mirror. The fully silvered mirror will completely reflect the

light whereas the partially silvered mirror will reflect most part of the light and at the

same time will allow some parts of the light to produce the laser beam.
Procedure:

(1) Place the round base on bread board and level the LASER mount with the

help of screw provided in front of the LASER holder.

(2) Place the LASER source firmly on holder with the help of four screws

provided as mount.

(3) Hold the grating holder & magnetic mount, Screen on Screen holder (clamp

type) & magnetic mount fixed mount and assemble as shown in figure

(4) The LASER beam after passing through the grating will split into zero

order, first order, and second order beam as shown in Fig.-1. A graph sheet

may be attached to the screen and respective orders may be marked on it.
(5) Measure the distance between first order spot & central maxima & half of this distance .

Observation Table:

S.No Order Distance Distance of Sin θ Wavelength(λ)

between the the first
grating order and
holder and second order
screen from central
maxima
“f”
“xm”

1. First Order f =20cm

n=1 f=30cm

f =40 cm

2. Second order f =20cm

n=2 f=30cm

f =40 cm
Calculations:

mλ=d sinθm

Result:
Wavelength (λ) of Helium Neon laser is…………………………………………..

Precautions:
1.The laser beam should not penetrate into the eyes as this may
damage the eyes.
2. The laser should be operated at a constant voltage of 220 V . This
avoids the flickering of the laser
3. Laser should be started at least 15 minutes before starting the
experiment.