What Makes a Laser

• Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Laser Types
• Two main types depending on time operation
• Continuous Wave (CW)
• Pulsed operation
• Pulsed is easier, CW more useful
 Regular Light Sources: Equilibrium Energy Populations
• Laser are quantum devices
• Assume gas in thermal equilibrium at temperature T
• Some atoms in a Gas are in an excited state
• Quantization means discrete energy levels
• Atoms Ni (atoms/m3) at a given energy level Ei
• E0 is the ground state (unexcited)
• Fraction at a given energy follows a Boltzmann distribution
Ni ⎛ [E − E0 ] ⎞
= exp⎜ − i ⎟
N0 ⎝ KT ⎠
T = degrees K
K = Boltzman constant 1.38 x 10-23 J/K = 8.62 x 10-5 eV/K
 Spontaneous and Stimulated Emission
• Consider 2 energy levels E0 (ground state) and E1 (excited state)
• Photon can cause Stimulated Absorption E0 to E1
• Excited state has some finite lifetime, τ10
 (average time to change from state 1 to state 0)
• Spontaneous Emission of photon when transition occurs
• Randomly emitted photons when change back to level 0
• Passing photon of same λ can cause "Stimulated Emission"
• Stimulated photon is emitted in phase with causal photon
• Stimulated emission the foundation of laser operation
 Einstein's Rate Equations
• Between energy levels 2 and 1 the rate of change from 2 to 1 is
dN 21
= − A21 N 2
dt
• where A21 is the Einstein Coefficient (s-1)
• After long time energy follows a Boltzmann distribution
N2 ⎛ [E − E1 ] ⎞
= exp⎜ − 2 ⎟
N1 ⎝ KT ⎠
• If (E2 - E1) >> KT then over a long time
N 2 ( t ) = N 2 ( 0 ) exp( A21t )
• Thus in terms of the lifetime of the level τ21 sec,
1
A21 =
τ 21
• illuminated by light of energy density ρ = nhν (J/m3)
(n= number of photons/m3) of frequency ν12 the absorption is
• At frequency ν12 the absorption is
dN 1
= N 1 B12 ρ (ν 12 ) emissions 3
dt m s
• B12 is the Einstein absorption coefficient (from 1 to 2)
• Similarly stimulated emission rate (with B21=B12) is
dN 2
= N 2 B21 ρ (ν 21 ) emissions 3
dt ms
 Two level system: Population Inversion
• In thermal equilibrium lower level always greater population
• N1 >> N2
• Can suddenly inject energy into system - pumping
• Now not a equilibrium condition
• If pumped hard enough get "Population Inversion"
• Upper level greater than lower level: N2 >> N1
• Population Inversion is the foundation of laser operation
Creates the condition for high stimulated emission
• In practice difficult to get 2 level population inversion
• Best pumping with light gives is equal levels
• Reason is Einstein’s rate equations
dN 2 dN 1
= N 2 B21 ρ (ν 21 ) = N 1 B12 ρ (ν 21 ) = emissions
dt dt m3 s
• Since B21=B12 then N1=N2 with light pumping
• Need more levels to get population inversion
 Three level systems
• Pump to E0 level E2, but require E2 to have short lifetime
• Rapid decay to E1
• E1 must have very long lifetime: called Metastable
• Now population inversion readily obtained with enough pumping
• Always small amount of spontaneous emission (E1 to E0)
• Spontaneous create additional stimulated emission to E0
• If population inversion: stimulated emission dominates: Lasing
• Common example Nd:Yag laser
• Problem: E0 often very full
 He-Ne Laser Energy levels
• He-Ne laser is example of 3 level laser
• Levels are created in both He and Ne atoms
• Fast decay from lower state (2p) to ground state
• First laser (Ruby) was a 3 level system
 Four Level Systems
• Pump to level E3, but require E3 to have short lifetime
• Rapid decay to E2 so E3 is always empty
• E2 must have very long lifetime: metastable so fills up
• Also require E1 short lifetime for decay to E0
• Now always have E1 empty relative to E2
• In principal easier to get population inversion
• Always small amount of spontaneous emission (E2 to E1)
• Spontaneous photons create additional stimulated emission to E1
• If population inversion: stimulated emission dominates
• Problem: low efficiency: energy losses at E3 to E2 and E1 to E0
 Absorption in Homogeneous Mediums
• Monochromatic beam passing through absorbing medium
homogeneous medium
• Change in light intensity I is
ΔI = I ( x + Δx ) − I (x)
ΔI = −αΔxI (x)
where α = the absorption coefficient (cm-1)
• In differential form
dI ( x)
= −αI ( x)
dx
• This differential equation solves as
I ( x) = I 0 exp(−αx)
 Gain in Homogeneous Mediums
• If we have a population inversion increase I
• Stimulated emission adds to light: gain
I ( x) = I 0 exp( gx)
g = small signal gain coefficient (cm-1)
• In practice get both absorption and gain
I ( x) = I 0 exp([g − a ]x)
• Gain is related directly to the population inversion
g = g 0 ( N1 − N 0 )
g0 = a constant for a given system
• This seen in the Einstein B Coefficients
• Thus laser needs gain medium to amplify signal
 Optical Resonator Cavity
• In laser want to confine light: have it bounce back and forth
• Then it will gain most energy from gain medium
• Need several passes to obtain maximum energy from gain medium
• Confine light between two mirrors (Resonator Cavity)
Also called Fabry Perot Etalon
• Have mirror (M1) at back end highly reflective
• Front end (M2) not fully transparent
• Place pumped medium between two mirrors: in a resonator
• Needs very careful alignment of the mirrors (arc seconds)
• Only small error and cavity will not resonate
• Curved mirror will focus beam approximately at radius
• However is the resonator stable?
• Stability given by g parameters: g1 back mirror, g2 front mirror:
L
gi = 1 −
ri
• For two mirrors resonator stable if
0 < g1 g 2 < 1
• Unstable if
g1 g 2 < 0 g1 g 2 > 1
• At the boundary (g1g2 = 0 or 1) marginally stable
 Stability of Different Resonators
• If plot g1 vs g2 and 0 < g1 g 2 < 1 then get a stability plot
• Now convert the g’s also into the mirror shapes
 Polarization and Lasers
• Lasers often need output windows on gain medium in cavity
• Output windows often produce polarized light
• Normal windows lose light to reflection
• Least loss for windows if light hits glass at Brewster Angle
• Perpendicular polarization reflected
• Parallel polarization transmitted with no loss (laser more efficient)
• Called a Brewster Window & the Brewster Angle is
⎛n ⎞
θ b = tan −1 ⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟
⎝ n1 ⎠
n1 = index of refraction of air
n2 = index of refraction of glass
• Example: What is Brewster for Glass of n2 = 1.5
⎛ n2 ⎞ ⎛ 1 .5 ⎞
θ b = tan −1 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = tan −1 ⎜ ⎟ = 56.6
o

⎝ n1 ⎠ ⎝ 1 ⎠
 Gain Medium & Laser Threshold
• With good Gain Medium in optical cavity can get lasing
but only if gain medium is excited enough
• Low pumping levels: mostly spontaneous emission
• At some pumping get population inversion in gain medium
• Beyond inversion get Threshold pumping for lasing
set by the losses in cavity
• Very sensitive to laser cavity condition
eg slight misalignment of mirrors threshold rises significantly
• At threshold gain in one pass = losses in cavity
 Round Trip Power Gain
• Within medium light intensity I gained in one pass
I ( L ) = I 0 exp[( g − α )L ]
where g = small signal gain coefficient
α = the absorption coefficient
L = length of cavity
• Thus calculate Round Trip Power Gain Gr
• Each mirror has a reflectivity Ri
R=1 for perfect reflection off a mirror

= R1 R2 exp[( g − α )2 L ]
I( 2L )
Gr =
I( 0 )
• At threshold Gr = 1
• Thus threshold gain required for lasing is
1 ⎛ 1 ⎞
gth = α + ln⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
2 L ⎝ R1 R2 ⎠
• Some of the loss = laser emission
 Transition Line Shape
• Distribution of energy levels creates width of emission
• Usually Gaussian shape
• Width broadened by many mechanisms
• Most more important in gases
• Doppler Broadening (movement of molecules)
• Collision Broadening (atomic/molecular collisions)
• Radiative Lifetime Broadening
(finite lifetime of transitions)
 Axial Modes of Laser
• Proper phase relationship only signal in phase in cavity
• Thus cavity must be integer number of half wavelengths
pλ
L=
2
where p = integer
• Results in frequency separation of peaks
c
Δν =
2L
• Emission from the atomic transitions is a wider Gaussian
• Result is axial modes imposed on Gaussian Transition spread
 Axial modes within Transition Gaussian
• Each axial mode is Gaussian shape narrower than transition peak
• eg for L=1 m Argon laser at 514 nm
c 3.00 x10 8 c 3.00 x10 8
Δν = = = 150 MHz ν = = −7
= 5.83 x1014 Hz
2L 2 λ 5.14 x10
• Thus emission much smaller than 0.0026% of frequency
Much narrower than other light sources.
 Transverse Modes
• Comes from microwave cavities
• Some waves travel off axis, but within cavity
• Result is Phase changes in repeating paths
• These can change shape of output
• Get local minimums (nulls) in the output beam shape
• Reduce these by narrowing the beam
• Called Transverse ElectroMagnetic, TEM
 Transverse Modes
• Transverse ElectroMagnetic, TEM depend on cavity type
• In cylindrical geometry two possible phase reversal orientations
• horizontal (q) and vertical (r)
• Show these as TEMqr
• q and r give number of null's in output beam
• Horizontal (q) gives number of vertical running nulls
• Vertical (r) gives number of horizontal running nulls
• Thus TEM12 has 2 vertical, 1 horizontal nulls
• Special mode TEM01* or donut mode
• comes from rapid switching from TEM01 to TEM10
 Einstein Coefficients and Lasers
• Recall the Einstein Emission/Absorption Coefficients
• Consider again a 2 level system being pumped by light
• A21 is the Einstein spontaneous emission Coefficient
• B12 is the Einstein spontaneous absorption coefficient
• B21 is the Einstein stimulated emission coefficient
• At equilibrium the absorption from pumping
equals the spontaneous and stimulated emission.
N1 ρB12 = N 2 A21 + N 2 ρB21
• Now recall the Boltzman distribution
N1 ⎛ [E − E0 ] ⎞ ⎛ hν ⎞
= exp⎜ 1 ⎟ = exp⎜ ⎟
N0 ⎝ KT ⎠ ⎝ KT ⎠
• ν = the frequency of the light
• hν = energy in photon
• Thus
hν ⎞
ρB12 exp⎛⎜ ⎟ = A21 + ρB21
⎝ KT ⎠
 Einstein Coefficients relationships
• Solving for the emitted photon energy density
A21
ρ=
⎛ hν ⎞
B12 exp ⎜ ⎟ − B21
⎝ KT ⎠
• From Planck's law the photons emitted at a given temperature are:
8π hν 3
ρ=
⎡ ⎛ hν ⎞ ⎤
c 3 ⎢exp⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥
⎣ ⎝ KT ⎠ ⎦
• From these two can solve noting B12 = B21
8π hν 3 8π h
A21 = B = B
c3
12
λ3 12
• Note absorption to emission increases rapidly with wavelength
 Under Lasing Conditions
• Spontaneous emission is nil so total emission/unit area is
dI
= ( N 2 − N1 )B21 ρhν
dx
• For a linear beam I = ρ c (energy density times speed) thus
dI ( N 2 − N1 )B21hνI
=
dx c
• Thus the gain is

g=
( N 2 − N1 )B21hν
c
• Or substituting for the spontaneous coefficient

g=
( N 2 − N1 ) A21c 2 ( N 2 − N1 )λ2
=
8πν 2 8πτ 21
• Three important implications because we need g>gth to lase
(1) For gain N2>N1 (i.e. population inversion)
(2) Shorter wavelength the lower the gain
Hence much harder to make UV than IR lasers
(3) Want short lifetime τ21 for higher gain
• But want metastable long τ21 to get population inversion!
• Hence tradeoff: τ21 must be short enough for threshold g
but long enough for population inversion
• More difficult to achieve for CW (continuous) lasers