rs and their applications in chem

Dr Dean Venables (G16)

Course outline
Part (1) looks at what lasers are and how they
workis a laser?
What
What are its properties?
How does a laser work?
What molecular transitions produce laser operation?
How are these practically realised?
What are some common types of laser?

Part (2) looks at several applications of lasers in c

Laser spectroscopy

1 test and 1
assignment

References
Basic overview of lasers:
Atkins, de Paula, Physical Chemistry
Hollas, Modern Spectroscopy

More advanced texts on lasers and their applications:

Milonni, Eberly, Lasers
Siegman, Lasers
Silfast, Laser Fundamentals
Telle, Urena, Donovan, Laser Chemistry: Spectroscopy,
Dynamics, and Applications
Demtrder, Laser Spectroscopy: Basic Concepts and
Instrumentation
(These are all available in the

1.1 Lasers an
introduction
What is a laser?
LASER:
Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission
of Radiation
A laser is a device that amplifies light and
produces a highly directional, high intensity
beam that most often has a very pure
frequency or wavelength [Silfast]

Lasers have unique characteristics as light

sources:
Directionality
Monochromati
city
Brightn
ess
Cohere
nce
Other properties:
Pulsed or continuous
operation
Tunable
Polarised light

Why are these properties useful?

Character Advantage
istic

Applications

High power

Nonlinear
spectroscopy
Improved
sensitivity
Raman scattering

Multiphoton process
Improved signal
High scattering intensity

Monochromat High resolution

ic
State selection

Spectroscopy
Isotope separation

Collimated
beam

Long path lengths

Sensitivity

Coherent

Interference between separate

beams

CARS

Pulsed

Precise timing of excitation

Pump-probe
studies
Relaxation
Video: Applications of lasersprocesses

Principal components of a laser

1. Gain medium
2. Laser pumping
energy
3. High reflector
4. Output coupler
5. Laser beam

Preconditions for laser operation

Population inversion
- consider populations of and transitions
between energy levels in molecules in the gain
medium (1)
Optical cavity
- look at the physical design of a laser cavity
formed by the high reflector (3) and output
coupler (4)
1. Gain medium
2. Laser pumping
energy
3. High reflector
4. Output coupler
5. Laser beam

A short sketch of laser history

1917: Einstein stimulated absorption and
emission of light
1954: Charles Townes and Schawlow maser,
prediction of the optical laser
Nobel Prize (1964)

1960: Theodore Maiman first demonstration of a l

Ruby laser
Rapid progress in the 1960s:
1961: first gas laser, first Nd laser
1962: first semiconductor laser
1963: CO2 laser (IR)