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Light is electromagnetic
radiation of a specific
wavelength and frequency that
is detectable by the human eye.
What is a wavelength?
Ultra-
Long waves Radio waves Infrared violet X-rays Gamma rays
102 104 106 108 1010 1012 1014 1016 1018 1020 1022 Frequency (Hz)
Visible Light
PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
Light travels in STRAIGHT lines
Laser
Light travels VERY FAST – around 300,000
kilometres per second.
For example:
Homework
Shadows are places where light is BLOCKED
Rays of light
Properties of Light Summary:
1) Light travels in straight lines
2) Light travels much faster than sound
3) We see things because they reflect light into
our eyes
4) Shadows are formed when light is blocked by
an object
LIGHT AS A PARTICLE
• A photon is like a particle, but it has no mass
• Think of a photon as a grain of sand.
• We see so many photons at the same time it’s
like seeing all the sand on a beach; we don’t
notice the single grains
• When light hits film in a film camera, it acts
like photons.
LIGHT AS A WAVE
• But sometimes light acts like a wave
• A wave has a wavelength, a speed and a frequency
• We’ll learn more about wave behavior when we talk
about polarization
• All light travels same speed (in vacuum)
• The energy goes up as frequency goes up
• Color depends on frequency
• Wavelength gets shorter as frequency goes up
SPEED OF LIGHT
• Light travels at 300,000,000 meters/second.
• It takes 8 minutes for a light wave (or a
photon) to travel from the sun to the earth.
• We see the moon because it reflects the sun’s
light.
• It takes 1 second for light reflected off the
moon to reach the earth.
LIGHT AND MATTER
• When light hits something (air, glass, a green wall, a
black dress), it may be:
• Transmitted (if the thing is transparent)
• Reflected or scattered (off mirror or raindrops)
• Absorbed (off a black velvet dress)
• Often it’s some combination. Take a simple piece of
paper: you can see some light through, white
reflects, black print absorbs.
The waves can pass through the object
Directionality
Monochromatic
Highly intense
Coherence
Directionality:
Ordinary light spreads in all directions and its angular
spread is 1m/m. But it is found that laser is highly
directional and is angular spread is 1mm/m.
E1
Induced Absorption
Spontaneous emission
Stimulated Emission
Induced Absorption:
Molecule in E1 absorbs a photon and is excited to E2
E2
hν
E1
Spontaneous Emission
Stimulated Emission
Spontaneous Emission:
Molecule in E2 decays spontaneously to E1 by emitting
a photon in an arbitrary direction.
E2
hν
E1
E2
hν
hν
E1
E2 E2 E2
hu hu
hu hu In
Out
hu
E1 E1 E1
Active Medium:
A medium in which population inversion can be
achieved is known as active medium.
Active Center:
The material in which the atoms are raised to the
excited state to achieve Population Inversion is called
Active Center.
Optical resonator:
Flash Tube
Capacitor
Disadvantages:
The electron energy level structure of Nd3+ in YAG is
complicated.
Applications:
It finds many applications in range finders and
illuminators.
N2 + e*= N2*+ e
I. Transition E5 to E4
This will produce a laser beam of wavelength 10.6μm
II. Transition E5 to E3
This transition will produce a laser beam of
wavelength 9.6μm. Normally 10.6μm transition is more
intense than 9.6μm transition.
Power Output : 10 kW
Principle:
When a p-n junction diode is forward biased, the
electrons from n–region and the holes from the p-region
cross the junction and recombine with each other.
Power Output : 1 mW
Nature of Output : Continuous or pulsed
Principle:
When a PN junction diode is forward biased, the
electrons from the n region and holes from the p
region recombine with each other at the junction.
The end faces of the junctions of 3rd and 4th layer are
well polished and parallel to each other.
Disadvantages:
It is very difficult to grow different layers of PN junction.
Applications:
This type of laser is mostly used in optical applications.
Industrial Applications.
(a) Laser Heat Treatment
(b) Laser Cutting
(c) Laser Welding
Medical Applications of Laser:
The following are some of the applications of laser in
medical field:
Working:
The laser beam is divided into TWO parts:
(1) Reference beam
(2) Object beam.
The object beam illuminates the object.
Principle:
The hologram is illuminated by a single beam from laser
source. This beam is diffracted by the hologram, which in
turn gives rise to a 3D image in the field of view.
Working:
Precautions: