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Chapter 36: Problem 12

Why is stimulated emission essential for laser action?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Stimulated emission is essential for laser action as it allows for the creation of a large number of coherent photons through a chain reaction of photon production, thereby producing the coherent beam of light that characterizes lasers. Additionally, it is necessary to achieve the population inversion required for laser action.

Step by step solution

01

Explain the process of stimulated emission

Stimulated emission is a process in which an incoming photon of a specific frequency can interact with an excited atomic electron (or other excited molecular state), causing it to drop to a lower energy level. The liberated energy transfers to the electromagnetic field, creating a new photon with a phase, frequency, polarization, and direction of travel that are all identical to the photons of the incident wave.
02

Connect stimulated emission to laser action

Laser action is based on the principle of stimulated emission. In a laser, atoms or molecules of the laser medium are excited to a higher energy level. When these atoms or molecules return to their ground state, they emit photons. If these photons stimulate other excited atoms or molecules to emit more photons, a chain reaction ensues, and a large number of coherent photons are generated. This is possible only through the process of stimulated emission.
03

Discuss the importance of stimulated emission for laser action

Without stimulated emission, it would not be possible to achieve the population inversion necessary for laser action. Population inversion is the state where more atoms are in the excited state than in the ground state, which is essential to maintain the chain reaction of photon production. Furthermore, only through stimulated emission can a large number of photons with identical properties be produced, resulting in a coherent beam of light, a distinctive feature of lasers.

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