Scribd
Upload
5 views

Laser Handout

The document covers key concepts related to lasers, including pumping, spontaneous emission, stimulated emission, and population inversion. It discusses different laser systems such as 2-level, 3-level, and 4-level systems, as well as semiconductor lasers. Additionally, it includes practice questions and homework assignments to reinforce understanding of laser operation and calculations related to photon energy and intensity.

Uploaded by

Joonmoon Lee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
5 views

Laser Handout

The document covers key concepts related to lasers, including pumping, spontaneous emission, stimulated emission, and population inversion. It discusses different laser systems such as 2-level, 3-level, and 4-level systems, as well as semiconductor lasers. Additionally, it includes practice questions and homework assignments to reinforce understanding of laser operation and calculations related to photon energy and intensity.

Uploaded by

Joonmoon Lee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

AP Level Physics – Laser

Laser
1. Pumping, Spontaneous Emission, and Stimulated Emission

A. Pumping

A. Spontaneous Emission

C. Stimulated Emission

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

2. Population Inversion

3. Typical Laser Structure

4. Several Laser System

A. 2-Level System

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

B. 3-Level System

C. 4-Level System

D. Semiconductor Laser

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

Practice Questions
1.
(a) Explain what is meant by stimulated emission of radiation.

(b) The energy levels of a 4-level laser system are shown.

Give two reasons why energy level E 1 is always nearby empty.

(c) Victoria claims that when the laser system shown below is in equilibrium, the amplifying medium
provides only a 0.5 % increase in intensity of the beam each time it travels across the cavity. Her research
partner, Davis, insists that the exponential increase in light intensity provided by the amplifying medium
means that the beam intensity is increased by a factor of thousands for each pass even when the laser is in
equilibrium. Discuss whether Victoria or David is correct.

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

2. (a) Labe the pumping and stimulated emission transitions in the four and three level laser systems shown
below.

(b) Explain why a population inversion can be achieved far more easily in a four level system than in a three
level system.

(c) Give two reasons why the top level (E 4 in the four level system and E 3 in the three level system) must
have a short life time.

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

3.
(a) (i) Explain why a population inversion is not usually possible with a 2-level energy system pumped using
light.

(ii) State an advantage of semiconductor lasers and an example of their use.

(b) Explain how 3-levl and 4-level laser systems work and the advantage of a 4-level system. Refer to the
diagrams in your answer.

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

4. When sunlight shines on the atmosphere of Mars, carbon dioxide molecules at a height of 75 km behave
like the amplifying medium in a laser. The energy levels involved are shown in the following diagram. A
population inversion occurs between energy levels E 1 and E 2 .

(a) (i) State what is meant by a population inversion.

(ii) Explain why a population inversion is needed for laser action.

(b) Calculate the output wavelength of this naturally occurring lase and determine the region of the
electromagnetic spectrum in which it lies.

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

Homework

1.
(a) Explain how a 3 level laser operates, explaining also why a 2 level lase is not possible.

(b) The simplified diagram shows the cavity of a laser.

(i) The wavelength of light from the laser is 633 nm. Calculate the energy of a photon of light emitted by the
laser.

(ii) The power output of the laser is 1.0 mW. Mirror M 2 transmits 1 in 500 photons. Determine the number
of photons per second incident on mirror M 2 .

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee


AP Level Physics – Laser

2. A laser has two mirrors either side of the amplifying medium as shown.

(a) Explain the purpose of the 99.0% reflecting mirror and the 100.0 % reflecting mirror.

(b) Explain the purpose of a population inversion in the laser cavity.

(c)
(i) The light intensity inside a powerful laser is 2.0 × 1015 W and its wavelength is 1.05 µm. Show that this
corresponds to approximately 1 × 1034 photons per second.

(ii) Show that the momentum of a 1.05 µm photon is approximately 6 × 10−28 kg m s−1.

(iii) Show that the force exerted on a 100.0 % reflecting mirror by a beam of power 2.0 × 1015 W is
approximately 1 × 107 N.

(iv) Calculated the strain produces in a laser structure if the power of the beam between the mirrors is 2.0 ×
1015 W. You may assume that the structure of the laser cavity has a cross-sectional area of 43 cm2 and is
made of a material with Young modulus 2.8 × 1011 Pa.

MS Prep by Joonmoon Lee

You might also like