531 PHYS-LN2

Interaction of Radiation with Matter

This lecture treats the case of the active medium interacting
with optical radiation. The approximation done here is to
neglect real many-body effects and take mostly atomic, ionic
and molecular systems which interact weakly with other
systems in the active medium. In most cases this is rather valid
since lasers utilize often gases or impurity ions in solid lattices.
The related material for calculating the Einstein A coefficient
will be performed in a demo exercise.

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1. Plane Electromagnetic Waves- Review

Classically, the EM radiation is described as a transverse
wave, consisting of an oscillating electric field and an
oscillating magnetic field, mutually perpendicular.

= c ; c = speed of light in vacuum = 2.998x108 ms-1

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Electromagnetic Waves Spectrum

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E
H

2
[
1 i ( t kz )
e + c .c ] two independent polarizations(transvese waves)

Propagation of constant phase front;

t-kz = constant and angular frequency = 2
k wave vector = 2/
dz 2
c velocity of propagation = = = =
dt k k
If we assume E(t) = E0 cos t
time
1 1 1 1
Energy Density = E 2 + H 2 2 E 2 = E02 (J/m 3 )
2 2 average 2 2

1 ( c / n )( 0 n 2 ) 2 1
I = int ensity or irradiance = c = cE02 = 0 E0 = c0 0 nE 02 (W/m 2 )
2 2 2
Where ; n = refractive index , = permittivity , = permeability
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2. Stationary* Quantum system vs conservative classical system

Newtons 2nd law

Newton Schr
Schrdinger Equation
2
d x
F =m H = ih
dx 2 t
1 h2 2
E= mv 2 + V ( r ) H= +V ( r )
2 2m
Example; 1 1
E = mv 2 + m 02 x 2 h2 d 2 1
2 2 H = + m 02 x 2
2 m dx 2 2

For stationary system H = H0 independent of time

Let ( r , t ) = u(r ) ( t )
H 0 u( r ) = Eu( r )

ih [u( r ) (t)] = H 0 u( r ) (t)

t ih = E ( t )
t
* Is a system whose energy is constant

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There are many possible states (stationary)

n ( r , t ) = un (r ) exp[ (iEn t / h )]
With stationary energy En
un ( r ) eign functions
H n un ( r ) = E n un ( r )
En eign - values

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Classical mechanics
Classical V
F = = kx
x
All energy are allowed
Simple harmonic oscillator for trajectory
Quantum mechanics V =
1 2
kx
2
h2 2 1
+ kx 2 = E
2m x
2
2

Eigen-values:
1
E n = n + h ; n = 0 ,1 ,2 ,... Quantum mechanics
2
1/ 2
k
=
m
Energy separation : constant =
Zero-point energy : E(=0)=
classical limit : for a huge mass m, is small and the energy levels
form a continuum

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2
un Gives probability distribution of particle location

1
Very important, the ground state energy is h 0 , not zero
2
This means: even at ground state, the particle is not at rest; it
it move with
the zero-
zero-point energy giving rise to zero-
zero-point fluctuations.

The stationary wave functions are orthogonal

1 m=n
H 0 un ( r ) = E n un ( r ) um ( r )un ( r )dV = mn
*
,
0 mn

This means that when the system is left alone (stationary, no

perturbation), stationary state are independent (i.e. no mixing)

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3. Time dependent perturbation theory

Suppose the system, after t=0, interacts with an external force represented
by an interaction Hamiltonian H

t<0 t > 0 (after interaction)

( r , t ) = ui (r ) exp[ (iEi t / h )]
m
(r , t ) = ak k
m k =1
m
E
i = a k ( t )uk exp i k t
k =1 h

We assume the system has m

stationary states
2
a k ( t ) = probability of finding the system in state k at time t
m

a
2
k (t ) = 1
1

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By the time dependent Schrdinger equation;

H = ih , H = H 0 + H'
t
Substitute
E
RHS ih = ih a k ( t )uk exp i k t
t t k h
m
a
= ih k + E k a k uk e iE k t / h
1 t

m m
LHS (H o + H' ) = ak ( t )e iE t / h ( H 0 uk ) + ak ( t )e iE t / h ( H ' uk )
k k

1 1
=
Ekuk

m
a k m
ih
1 t
uk e k = a k ( t )e k ( H ' uk )
iE t / h

1
iE t / h

Multiply by u *n ( r )e iE n t / h and integrate over V

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a n m
i (Ek En )
ih = H'nk a k exp t
t k =1 h

( t ) = u ( r )H' ( r , t )uk ( r )dV

*
Where; H nk (Orthogonality of un, uk)
n

= matrix element describing the transition

between n and k states.
We get m differential equations for m variables

No approximation at this point

For a m level system, there will be m equation solvable if initial

conditions are known.

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For a two level system,

( E1 E 2 ) t
a 1 i
ih = H'11 ( t )a1 + H'12 ( t )a 2 e h
t
( E 2 E1 ) t
a 2 i
ih = H' 21 ( t )a1 e h
+ H' 22 ( t )a 2
t
Now approximation , we assume the interaction is weak (H<<H0)
and therefore (a 2 (t ) 0 , a1 (t ) 1) , i.e. at all time, the system is barely
off thermal equilibrium most of the time, the electron is at
ground state.

a 1
ih = H'11 0
t
a 2
H' 21 e i o t
( E 2 E1 )
ih Where o =
t h

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but a 2 (t ) << a1 (t )
a2(t) is not equal to zero but it can be determine by the equation
( E 2 E1 ) t
a 2 i
ih = H' 21 ( t ) e h
t
For Harmonic perturbation;

H '21 ( t ) = H '210 cost =

[
H '210 e it e it ]
2i
a2(t) can be obtained by direct integration

da 2 (t ) 1 H '210 it
dt
=
ih 2 i
(
e e it e i o t )
For a2(0)=0, electron not in |2> initially

H '210 exp[i ( o ) t ] 1 exp[i ( o + ) t ]

a 2 (t ) =
2 ih o o +
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For , near resonance condition, the second term can be

neglected

H ' o 21 e it 1
a 2 (t ) where = o
2i h

2
t
sin 2
2
H '210
a2 (t ) =
2
h

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2
t y
sin 2
Let y = y ( ) =



As t y() becomes higher and narrower
Also

t
sin 2 mx


y( ) d =
2
using x 2 dx = m 2
For large value of t (t ),

t
y ( ) ( ) Dirac function
2
Dirac - function
f(x) = 0 -4/t -2/t 0 2/t 4/t
= 0

and f(x)dx = 1
-

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2
H '210
a 2 (t ) = t ( )
2

2h 2
Recall that the radiation induced transition probability from 1 2 per
unit time is designated as W12.
W12 tells us the chance of finding the atom in level 2 per unit time.

d a 2 (t )
i.e 2

= W12
dt
Or,
'o 2
H 21
W12 = ( )
2h 2
'o 2
To calculate W12 explicitly, we must calculate the quantity H 21

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