Why is a metastable state necessary for the production of laser light?

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The main components of a laser include an active medium, mirrors, and a pumping source. The active medium is a material (gas, solid, or liquid) containing atoms or molecules that can release energy in the form of light when stimulated. Mirrors are used to create an optical resonator, which amplifies the light by multiple reflections. The pumping source provides energy to the active medium to enable light emission.

The laser operation is based on the process of stimulated emission. In this process, an incoming photon stimulates an excited atom or molecule in the active medium to drop to a lower energy state and emit a photon with the same energy, phase, and direction as the incoming photon. This leads to an amplification of light, as more photons are added to the initial light beam.

A metastable state is an excited state of an atom or molecule that has a longer lifetime than other excited states. In the law of spontaneous emission, an atom typically returns to its ground state by emitting a photon. However, in a metastable state, this spontaneous emission is delayed, allowing the atom to remain in the excited state longer than usual. This increases the probability of stimulated emission occurring, which is crucial for the laser operation.

The presence of a metastable state in the active medium is necessary for laser light production due to the following reasons: 1. Population Inversion: To achieve laser action, it is essential to create a population inversion, where there are more atoms in the excited state than in the ground state. Metastable states allow for a build-up of atoms in the excited state, making population inversion possible. 2. Sustained Stimulated Emission: The longer lifetime of metastable states increases the probability of stimulated emission over spontaneous emission. As a result, more photons are produced through stimulated emission, sustaining and amplifying the light beam within the laser cavity. In conclusion, a metastable state is necessary for the production of laser light as it enables the creation of population inversion and favors stimulated emission over spontaneous emission, leading to the amplification of light.