EP 309: Photonics Chapter 14: Lasers: Dinesh Kabra, Physics - IITB
EP 309: Photonics Chapter 14: Lasers: Dinesh Kabra, Physics - IITB
EP 309: Photonics Chapter 14: Lasers: Dinesh Kabra, Physics - IITB
and
Laser amplification
14.1-1
Narrowband coherent amplifier Small-signal gain
coefficient
Via stimulated emission (i.e, population inversion)
s = saturation time constant (s tsp (4- level scheme) and s 2tsp (3-level system)
Saturated gain
14.1-2
coefficient
Theory of Laser Oscillation
Amplification process also introduces phase shift.
14.1-3
Phase shift coefficient
Phase shift in simple Fabry-Perot etalon comprising two mirrors separated by distance d
and medium n, in which amplifier reside. This medium will introduce an additional phase
shift per unit length equal to wavenumber
14.1-4
Phase shift coefficient
Feedback and loss: The optical resonator
Losses:
Overall loss in one round trip due to absorption and scattering and mirror transmission
14.1-5
Loss coefficient
t loss of energy (photons) per unit length hence tc represents the loss of photons per
second. Thus
14.1-6
Photon lifeitme
Feedback and loss: The optical resonator
The resonator sustains only frequencies that correspond to a round-trip phase shift of 2n.
Where n is an integer.
For a resonator the round trip phase shift is k*2d = 4d/c = q*2.
Modes frequencies :
F is finesse of resonator.
Condition for laser Oscillation
Two conditions must be satisfied for laser to oscillate (lase)
1. Gain > 1 per round trip
2. Phase should 2n , n =1,2,…per round trip (self-consistency condition)
The initiation of laser oscillation requires that small signal gain coefficient be greater than
loss coefficient
where
Nt
Further if transition rate is limited by lifetime broadening with a decay time tsp:
1/2tsp, which further simplifies to
If the contribution arising from active laser atoms is small then it can be considered as
simple case of resonator modes. However, if active laser atoms contributes, the solution
of above equation give rise to set of oscillation frequencies q’ that are slightly displaced
from cold resonator frequencies q. These new frequencies gets pulled towards central
frequency.
Frequency pulling:
k = 2/c ; F = c/2d
And Phase shift coefficient
for Lorentzian lineshape
gives:
14.1.18
Phase Condition: Laser Frequencies
Phase Condition: Laser Frequencies
Approximate analytical solution of 14.1-18 can be
14.1-19
When = q q’, the 2nd term is small in 14-1-19, hence replacing = q does not affect
accuracy. Thus
14.1-21
Laser frequencies
Phase Condition: Laser Frequencies
• Sharper the resonator modes (i.e., lesser ) less significant is pulling effect
Which provides:
Out from output coupler would half travelling towards outcoupler, whilte ignoring the
spontaneous emission
Optimization of output photon-flux
density
Optimal transmittance to get maximum light output by limiting/controlling the resonator
losses.
Due to mirror
and
Gives
Optimization of output photon-flux
density
= 0.5
Since
Optimal transmittance
Derivative of 0 w.r.t. Equal to zero.
Consider a cylinder of area A, length c and volume cA, whose axis lies parallel to axis of
resonator then n = /c
The photon number density corresponding to the steady-state internal photon-flux density
can be
14.2-11
Steady-state
photon number
density
Since, 14.2-12
Steady-state
Then equation 14.2-11 can be written as photon number
` density
Internal Photon-number Density
Under ideal 4-level pumping conditions; s = tsp and N0 = Rtsp (R is pumping rate s-1cm-3)
then above expression can be written as:`
It can be seen that under steady-state conditions the overall photon-density loss rate
n/p is precisely equal to the excess pumping rate.
Output Photon flux and efficiency
If mirror transmission is only loss in resonator and V is volume of active medium, output
flux (photons per second) is
Where e is emission efficiency (ratio of loss arising from the extracted light to all of the
total losses r)
14.2-17
Since Emission efficiency
gives
Where we have defined 1/TF = c/2d, indicating that the emission efficiency can be
understood in terms of the ratio of the photon-lifetime to its round-trip travel time
mulitplied by mirror transmission.
Spectral Distribution
Figure suggest that only finite
number of oscillation frequencies (1,
2, 3…… m) are possible. The
number of possible laser oscillation
modes is therefore
14.2-18
No. of possible laser modes
The approximate linewidth of each laser mode is expected to be , but it turns out to
be smaller than this. It is limited by the so called Schalow-Townes linewidth, which
decreases inversely as the optical power.
Acoustic and thermal fluctuation of resonator mirrors
Homogeneously Broadened
Medium
Selection of Polarization
XX = 4.3 cm
Selection of longitudinal mode