Tutorial Sheet 1

OPTO - ELECTRONICS
1. Determine the ratio between the thermal equilibrium population of two levels
separated by the energy difference E equal to (a) 10-4 eV (b) 5x10-2eV (c) 3eV .
Assume that the temperature 100 K , 300K ( room temp. ) and 1000K.

2. The small signal gain of ruby laser amplifier using a 15 cm long rod is 12.
Neglecting gain saturation , calculate the small signal gain of a 20 cm long
rod with same population inversion.
3. A laser cavity consists of two mirrors wit reflectivity R1 = 1 and R2 = 0.5 ,
while the internal loss per pass is 1% .Calculate the total logarithmic loss per
pass . If the length of the active material l=7.5 cm and the transition cross
section = 2.8x 10-19 cm2 , calculate the threshold inversion .
4. A helium neon laser operating at 628.8 nm has an output power 1 mW
with a 1 mm beam diameter . The beam passes trough a mirror tat has 99%
reflectivity and 1% transmission at the laser wavelength .What is the ratio of
stimulated to spontaneous rate for this laser. What is the effective blackbody
temperature of the laser beam as it emerges from the laser output mirror.
Assume the beam diameter is also 1 mm inside the laser cavity and the
laser line width = 109 Hz.
5. Show that the number of radiation modes in an 3 dimensional
electromagnetic cavity is proportional to 2d.
From the above result, can we say why one dimensional parallel cavities are
used in lasers.
6. Consider a resonator made of two concave mirrors ( R1 > 0 , R2 > 0 )
spaced by a distance L . Find the values of L , for which the resonator is
stable.
What will be the stability range for resonator made of two convex mirrors.
7.The half width of He:Ne laser is 2x10 -3 nm The laser emission has a wave length of 632.8nm .
Calculate the half width in frequency , at a temperature of 400 K

8. The spontaneous life time of sodium line leading to a D 1 line (

= 5891A ) is 16ns. What

will be natural line width ( FWHM) .

9. Calculate the number of modes that can exist in a laser whose length is 1 meter and wave
length = 1 m .Calculate also the frequency between modes .
10. Calculate the number of axial modes of a laser of 1 meter length and the gain band
width is 1.5x 109 Hz . The laser has the wave length , = 500 nm .
11 . Calculate the pulse duration and pulse separation of a mode locked laser which has a
line width of 2x1011 Hz . The length of the laser is 1 m .
12. Calculate the laser pulse width in a mode locked laser which has a cavity length of 1.5m
and there are 10,000 participating longitudinal modes . Calculate the periodic time between
pulses also .
!3. Discuss the relative advantages & disadvantages of solid state lasers over Gas lasers.
14. Discuss two applications of lasers which according to you are most important.