Basics of LASER

The acronym for LASER is Light Amplification by “Stimulated Emission of Radiation”.

Characteristic of a Laser a) High Monochromacity :The property of exhibiting single
wavelength by a light is called “Monochromacity”. (That is when it is sent through a
prism, a single line will be appeared in the spectrum).
b) High Directionality :During the propagation of a laser, its angular spread will be
less and occupies less area. Hence it possesses high degree of directionality.
c) High Intensity :Due to its directionality, many beams of light incident in a small area.
Therefore, intensity of light is very high
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ejR5F_XetMg

The operation of the device may be described by the formation of an electromagnetic

standing wave within a cavity (optical resonator) which provides an output of
monochromatic highly coherent radiation.

Three different fundamental processes occur between the two energy states of an
atom.

1) Absorption 2) Spontaneous emission 3) Stimulated emission.

Laser action is the result of three process absorption of energy packets (photons)
spontaneous emission, and stimulated emission.
E1 is the lower state energy level. E2 is the higher state energy level.

Quantum theory states that any atom exists only in certain discrete energy state,
absorption or emission of light causes them to make a transition from one state to
another. The frequency of the absorbed or emitted radiation f is related to the
difference in energy E between the two states.

If E1 is lower state energy level. and E2 is higher state energy level.

E = (E2 – E1) = h.f.

Where, h = 6.626 x 10-34 J/s (Plank‘s constant).

Absorption
An atom is initially in the lower energy state,
when the photon with energy (E2 – E1) is

incident on the atom it will be excited into the

higher energy state E2 through the

absorption of the photon.

When the atom is initially in the
higher energy state E2, it can make a
transition to the lower energy state
E1 providing the emission of a photon
at a frequency corresponding to E
=h.f. The emission process can occur
in two ways.

A) By spontaneous emission in which

the atom returns to the lower energy
state in random manner.
By stimulated emission when a photon
having equal energy to the difference
between the two states (E2 – E1)
interacts with the atom causing it to the
lower state with the creation of the second
photon

Spontaneous emission gives incoherent

radiation while stimulated emission gives
coherent radiation. Hence the light
associated with emitted photon is of same
frequency of incident photon, and in same
phase with same polarization.
Population Inversion
For production of laser light ,more photons must be
emitted than absorbed.(Stimulated Emission >
Spontaneous emission)
To achieve optical amplification, it is necessary to
create non equilibrium in distribution of atoms such
that more atoms should be present in the excited
state.(atoms in E2> atoms in E1)
•In thermal equilibrium the density of excited
electrons is very small. Stimulated emission will
exceed absorption only if the population of the excited
states is greater than that of the ground state. This
condition is known as Population inversion.
To achieve this it is necessary to excite atoms in E2.
It is achieved by using external source called as
“pumping”
To achieve population inversion, atoms must be
continuously excited from a lower energy level
to a higher energy level and the process by
which the atoms are excited to a higher energy
level
Types of Pumping :
1.Optical Pumping 2. Electrical Pumping
3.Thermal Pumping
Energy level diagram
Optical Pumping

Thermal Pumping
Semiconductor lasers
A semiconductor diode laser is a specially
fabricated pn junction device.This is operated in
forward bias.

It is made from GaAs(direct band gap

semiconductor) which operated at low
temperatures and emitted light in the near IR
region.

It is also known as injection laser.

As current is injected into junction between P &

N material. The pump would send energy into the gain
medium and this would excite the electrons and
holes within it. This process then gets amplified
within the cavity and lasing takes place.
This diagram shows a cross section of the
inside of the laser diode.

• The L.D. consists mainly of a pn-junction

separated by a thin active layer. •

The sides of the L.D. form the mirrors of the

cavity and the beam is sent in the two opposite
directions.

• A potential difference creates the pumping

action and starts the lasing process
VCSEL is the type of
semiconductor laser diode with laser beam
emission perpendicular from the top surface,
as opposed to conventional edge-emitting
semiconductor lasers which emit from
surfaces.

compared to conventional edge-emitting light

diodes, VCSEL emits light or a vertical beam
from its top surface.
Types of Lasers

1. Solid state lasers:

a. Ruby Laser b. Nd:YAG Laser

2. Gaseous Laser:

b. He-Ne laser b. Co2 Laser c Excimer

laser

3. Liquid Laser

4. Semiconductor laser
 Optical feedback

•The probability of photon producing a stimulated emission event can

be increased by reflecting back through the medium several times.

A device is normally fashioned in such a way that the 2 ends are made
highly reflective

This is term an oscillator cavity or Fabry Perot cavity

Fabry perot cavity consists of two flat partially reflecting mirrors

facing towards each other. Oscillations take place inside the cavity hence
light reflects back and forth inside the cavity.
Optical F/B thus produced ,cavity acts like oscillator.

So this cavity has a gain mechanism

No unwanted light emission takes place as sides of cavity have rough

surfaces.
In an FP resonant cavity, only certain wavelengths that can form a
standing wave mode within the cavity are allowed to oscillate.
The use of the Fabry-Perot resonant cavity in an FP
laser diode enables precise control over the
longitudinal modes of the laser output, resulting in a
highly monochromatic beam
Output power characteristics of LASER

● At low diode currents, only spontaneous radiation is

emitted.
● sharply defined increase in the power output occurs
at the lasing threshold.
Output power characteristics of LASER and Temperature Effects
LED Vs. Laser Specifications