Chapter6 PropertiesofLasers

LectureNotesforModernOpticsbasedon Pedrotti&Pedrotti&Pedrotti Instructor:NayerEradat Spring2009

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PropertiesofLasers

Energyquantizationinlightandmatter
E photon = h , where h = 6.63 10-34 J .s

Quantization of EM fields: energy of EM radiation is quantized in units of h Total energy stored in EM field of frequency is: EnEM = h / 2 + nh where n = 0,1, 2,3,... is number N
?

of photons in the EM radiation. h / 2 is the energy associated with electromagnetic vacuum. In absence of photons there is still some energy stored in vacuum. vacuum Energy quantization in matter: Atoms are composed of charged particles thus they interact with EM fields. Atoms have quantized energy levels. Energy levels of hydrogen atom: En = A strong interaction between the EM field and atom can occur if some constituents of the matter have allowed energy levels that is in resonance with the energy of photons in EM radiation or: En Em   

Energy of an atomic or molecular transition EM = EnEM = h 0 +1 En  

Energy of a photon

13.6eV where n = 1, 2, 4,... n2

Ground state of an atom is the most stable state of it which corresponds to the lowest energy level of the atom. Excited states of an atom: are states above the ground state and less stable and correspond to higher energy levels. Energy of free electrons is not quantized so they can interact with photons of any energy. energy Boud electrons absorb energies in packets that matches the quantized energy levels available to them.
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Lineshapefunction
The energy gy levels of atoms are not discrete lines. In reality energy levels have a finite width E that is a result of interaction of atom with its environment. A typical value of width of an energy level: E ~ 10-7 eV This allows photons with energies within a small range of the energy difference between the levels to interact with the atom (a more relax criteria than the exact match). A photon should have a energy in the range: h = En Em

( En + Em )
2

to h = En Em +

( En + Em )
2

En Em ( En + Em ) = 0 2h 2 h y to have significant g interaction with the atom. are likely Only fields of frequencies = The center frequency of interaction or line center 0 = Range of linewidths for different material: 106 109 Hz Probability of interaction of an atom with energy levels of E m , E n with a photon of frequency is proportional to the lineshape function g ( ) which usually is a symmetric function with width of and peak at = 0 . y convention lineshape p function g ( ) is normalized so that p probability y stays y below 1: By
All

( En + Em ) En Em and frequency linewidth = h h

g ( ) d = 1
3

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ThermalEquilibriumandBoltzmanndistributionofatoms
For a system in equilibrium with its sourroundings there is no net energy exchange. Th the Thus h system and d its i surroundings di is i characterized h i d by b one temperature T. T Boltzman Distribution for an assambly of atoms at thermal equilibrium: Pi = Pe 1
( Ei E1 ) / K BT

P 1 : liklihood of the atom being in ground state Pi : liklihood of the atom being in the ith excited state k B = 1.38 1 38 1023 J / K = 8.62 8 62 105 eV / K is Boltzman constant. constant T: the temperature in Kelvin At thermal equilibrium atoms are more likely to be in lower energy states than higher.

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Blackbodyradiation
A blackbody is a perfect absopber and also a perfect emitter. They are also called Plankian sources. In 1900 M I Max Pl Plank k suggested t d quantization ti ti of f th the radiation di ti emitted itt d from f a blackbody bl kb d and d absorption b ti by a blackbody in order to explain experimental data. Plank's suggestion for spectral excitance, M of a 2 hc 2 1 balckbody was: M = hc / kBT 5 e 1 where M is the power per unit area per wavelength interval at temperature T, emitted by a source. Wien's displacement law : M peak is inversly proportional to the temperature maxT = hc / 5k B = 2.898 103 ( m.K ) This can be derived from equating the T-derivative of M to zero. St h B lt Stephan-Boltzman law: l total t t l radiant di t excitance it of f a blackbody bl kb d is proportional to 4th power of its temperature in Kelvin. M = M d = T 4 where =5.67 10-8 W/ m 2 .K 2 .
0

Real sources emit less than blakbody. Emissivity of a surface is defined as:

( T ) = M / M bb nbb ( T ) < 1
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and bb (T ) = 1
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lasers
Lasers introduced in 1960s perhaps the most important optical device. LASER: Light by the Stimulated Emission  
of Radiation   
is an N Amplification   

EM waves Resonator Laser cavity, population inversion, laser material, pump Property of the material

, intense, highly directional, electromagnetic energy source. nearly monochromatic, , coherent, Theoretical prediction of stimulated emission by Albert Einstein in 1916. Experimental demonstration by C.H. Townes in microwave regime in 1954 (MASER). A. Schawlow and C.H. Townes adapted the principles of masers in the visible 1958 (LASER) The first solid state laser (Ruby 694.3 nm) was built by T.H. Meiman (1960) The first gas laser (HeNe: 1.15 m and 632.8nm) was built by A. Javan (1960) For the most of 1960s the lasers were described described as "A A solution in search of a problem" problem . Today the applications are being discovered on almost weekly basis. Laser light is a manifestation of a particular interaction between charged particles and electromagnetic waves that requires understanding of quantization of energy of EM waves and energy of atoms.
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Einsteinstheoryoflightmatterinteraction
In 1916 Eninstein showed that existance of thermal equilibrium between light and matter could be explained by three basic interactions. 1) Stimulated absorption 2) Stimulated emission 3) Spontaneous emission. We introduce the following parameters: N1 , N 2 : population density of the lower and upper states I : irradiance of the incident radiation (numberof photons) g ( ' ) : lineshape value at frequency of the incident light B12 : the Einstein B coefficient for stimulated absorption B21: the Einstein B coefficient for stimulated emission

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Einsteinrateequations
1) Stimulated absorption: a process by which EM waves transfer energy to matter and excite it from a lower state to a higher state of energy h ' E2 E1 = h 0 The rate of occurence of stimulated absorption per unit volume is: RSt . Abs = B12 g ( ')( I / c ) N1 I : Irradiance 2) Stimulated emission: when a photon of energy h ' E2 E1 = h 0 encounters an atom initially in an excited state E2 , it can stimulate the atom to drop to a lower state E1. In the process the atom releases a photon with same energy, direction, phase, polarization as that of the initial photon. Thus light can be amplified and the result is a highly monochromatic, directional and coherent radiation. The rate of occurence of stimulated emission per unit volume is: RSt . Em = B21 g ( ' )( I / c ) N 2 3) Spontaneous emission : an atom in excited state E2 "spontaneous spontaneously ly" gives up its energy in the form of a photon in a random direction h ' E2 E1 = h 0 and falls to a lower state E1. The spectrum of the spontaneous emission is same as that of the lineshape g ( ') . Spontaneous emission i i occures because b aoms in i excited it d state t t are not t stable t bl and d have h limitted li itt d lifetime. lif ti The rate of occurence of spontaneous emission per unit volume is: RSp. Em = A21 N 2
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RelationsbetweenEinsteinAandBcoefficients RSt . Abs = B12 g ( ')( I / c ) N1 RSt . Em = B21 g ( ')( I / c ) N 2

RSp. Em = A21 N 2 Einstein showed that a thermal equilibrium between a radiation field and an assembly of atoms will exist if A21 8 h 3 and B12 = B21 (for non-degenerate states) = B21 c3 Since rate coefficients for stimulated emission and absorption are equal, the ratio of these processes is proportional to the ratio of population of each state: RSt . Em B21 g ( ')( I / c ) N 2 N 2 = = RSt . Abs B12 g ( ')( I / c ) N1 N1 In an assambly of atoms in thermal equilibrium, probability of finding an atoms in a particular energy state, i at temperature T is given by Maxwell-Boltzman distribution: Pi = Pe 1 KT = 25meV at 300 K
( E2 E1 ) / K BT RSt . Em N 2 P2 Pe 1 = = = = e ( E2 E1 ) / K BT < 1 ( E1 E1 ) / K BT RSt . Abs N1 P Pe 1 1 ( Ei E1 ) / K BT

Where K B = 1.38 1023 J / K = 8.62 105 eV / K is the Boltzman constant, T is in Kelvin

S stimulated So ti l t d absorption b ti will ill occur more often ft than th the th stimulated ti l t d emission. i i At thermal equilibrium an assembly of atoms is a net absorber.
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Pumping,populationinversion
To achieve the amplification of the EM radiation we need to take the atoms out of thermal equilibrium equilibrium. Pumping: is a way of exciting the atoms from E1 E 2 can be done optically or electrically. p on inversion: increasing g population p p of the atoms in excited state to the extend at which N 2 > N1 Populati Under population inversion condition: RSt . Em >RSt . Abs Spontaneous emission will always exist and acts as deremental factor (noise generating) in laser systems. p emission broadens the laser linewidth so inhibition of the SE is a big g research topic p today. y Spontaneous A21 3 that is why making blue lasers is more challenging than the red ones. B21

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Essentialelementsofalaser
Pump: is i a source of f energy that h excites i the h atoms from E1 E 2 can be done optically or electrically. Laser medium: absorbs the pump and emits it as stimulated ti l t d and d spontaneous t emission. i i Laser cavity: maximizes the pump absorption by the laser medium. Resonator: provides feedback to the laser medium and promotes the stimulated emission. Also selects the frequency of the laser (will talk about it more). Laser driver: powers the pump.

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