What is the principle behind the operation of a laser?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the principle behind the operation of a laser?
Spontaneous emission
Stimulated emission
Absorption
Reflection
Lasers operate on the principle of stimulated emission, where an incoming photon stimulates an excited electron to emit a photon of the same energy, phase, and direction.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the principle behind the operation of a laser?
Solution: Lasers operate on the principle of stimulated emission, where an incoming photon stimulates an excited electron to emit a photon of the same energy, phase, and direction.
Steps: 8
Step 1: Understand that a laser produces light.
Step 2: Know that light is made of tiny particles called photons.
Step 3: Learn that in a laser, atoms are energized, making their electrons jump to a higher energy level.
Step 4: Realize that these energized electrons want to return to their normal state.
Step 5: When an incoming photon hits an excited electron, it can cause the electron to drop back down.
Step 6: This drop releases a new photon that has the same energy, phase, and direction as the incoming photon.
Step 7: This process of one photon causing another is called stimulated emission.
Step 8: Many of these stimulated emissions happen in a chain reaction, creating a strong, focused beam of light.
