Creating a Laser with Different Types of Radiance

[hiltac]

Hello,

Can we make a laser with any type of radiance (IR,UV,visible,microwave,..) ? If we consider a three level system for example.
In such a system, how can we avoid absorption from level 1 to level 2 ? Is it by choosing atoms/molecules in which the level 2 is greater than the fundamental ?

Thank you !

 

[DrClaude]

Hello,

Can we make a laser with any type of radiance (IR,UV,visible,microwave,..) ? If we consider a three level system for example.
In such a system, how can we avoid absorption from level 1 to level 2 ? Is it by choosing atoms/molecules in which the level 2 is greater than the fundamental ?

Thank you !

I'm not an experimentalist, but from what I know the available range of laser frequencies is quite high in the optical region. Not sure about the microwave regime, though.

As for the three level system, how are the three levels arranged? There are some cases where you can get electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) or other quantum phenomena where transitions to a given level will be suppressed. Look up also STIRAP.

 

[hiltac]

Thanks for the answer.
The three level I consider are like in this video at 0:50 .
I guess that we can make a laser with any type of radiance (LASER with microwaves exists = MASER) I don't know if anyone has an opinion about that, is there any limitations about the incident light to produce a population inversion ?

 

[dlgoff]

Not sure about the microwave regime, though.

Actually, the Maser ("microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation") was the predecessor to the Laser.

In 1953, Charles Hard Townes and graduate students James P. Gordon and Herbert J. Zeiger produced the first microwave amplifier, a device operating on similar principles to the laser, but amplifying microwave radiation rather than infrared or visible radiation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser#History

 

[hiltac]

No other opinion about that ?

 

[DrClaude]

Actually, the Maser ("microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation") was the predecessor to the

What I meant is that I don't know what is the current state of the art for masers, in particular concerning available range and tunability. In the optical region, basically any frequency is available, although not always with a high power.

I don't know if anyone has an opinion about that, is there any limitations about the incident light to produce a population inversion ?

I'm not sure I understand what your question is. Could you rephrase it?

 

[dlgoff]

What I meant is that I don't know what is the current state of the art for masers, in particular concerning available range and tunability. In the optical region, basically any frequency is available, although not always with a high power.

Ah Okay. Should have know you knew the history.

 

[hiltac]

@DrClaude
I mean if we can operate a population inversion (condition to make a laser) with visible light, IR, Micro wave, RX,... ? Or does limitations exists ?
If we observe a population inversion with a MASER (MW), the population inversion will be between 2 levels with a small difference of energy, but can we apply this reasoning with other frequency of light ?