Laser, ngha l khuch i nh sng bng bc x cng bc. Laser l mt trong
nhng pht minh khoa hc quan trng nht trong th k XX. n nay vi nhng tnh cht c trng u vit ca n, laser ngy cng c ng dng nhiu trong nghin cu khoa hc, cng ngh. S dng bc sng chun laser n nh tn s lm chun o lng n v di mt l mt trong nhng ng dng ca laser. Tnh cht c trng ca tia Laser Cng tia Laser ln gp bi ln cng tia sng nhit So snh cng ca bc x laser khi cng sut bnh thng vi tia sng nhit: Vi laser kh HeNe pht cng sut 1mW ch lin tc vi bc sng 633nm c nng lng h = 10-9 J th s phton laser pht trong mt giy s l:
Vi ngun nhit c nhit T = 1000o K bc x t mt din tch DA = 1cm2 v
cng pht sng trong vng nhn thy c vi rng ph Dn = 104 nm th s phton nhit tnh theo cng thc:
So snh ta thy s phton laser ln hn rt nhiu.
nh phng ca Laser l cao Ngun sng nhit bc x theo mi phng trong khng gian. Cn ngun laser do c cu ca bung cng hng quang hc ch pht cc dao ng ngang v chng tp trung trong mt mt phng phn cc. Cng sut pht c phn b u v ng pha trong ton b khu ca ngun. Vi chm laser sng phng, bc x t mt bung cng hng vi gng c ng knh d (hoc din tch
sau gng chm tia laser s tn x, do hin tng nhiu x, di mt gc nhiu
x.
chm tia s bc x trong mt gc khi:
Gi tr gc khi rt nh so vi gc khi bc x ca mt ngun nhit l c 2psteradians. nh phng cao cho s tp trung nng lng trong mt gc khi nh v to nn cng ln. n sc (monochromaticity) Theo nh ngha n sc ca mt chm tia c c trng bng rng vch ca chm. Khi rng vch ca chm tia bng khng th chm c n sc cao nht. Trong trng hp gn ng vi bung cng hng quang hc, rng vch c th xc nh bng cng thc.
Vi cng sut pht P = 1mW,
vng bc sng s c
y l rng rt b.
Tnh kt hp ca Laser (Coherence of laser beam).
Mt trong cc tnh cht quan trng v c bit nht ca laser l tnh kt hp. Mt bc x laser bt k u c tnh kt hp biu hin n sc (kt hp thi gian) v tnh ng pha ca mt sng (kt hp khng gian). Sng c tnh kt hp khng gian khi bt k thi im no, nh sng c pha khng i trn khp mt sng ca n. Tng t ti mt thi im cho trc dc theo mt sng chuyn ng nu pha l ging pha m sng c sau khi i qua mt khong cch L vi thi gian L/c, d L c nh th no th sng c xem c tnh kt hp hon ton. Cc laser hot ng ch n mode dc hay ngang c biu hin trong cc sng n sc v ng pha nn chng c bc kt hp khng gian v thi gian cao, mt cch t ng. Vi cc tnh cht c trng nh trn, cc ngun bc x laser, c bit l laser kh He-Ne c dng ph bin th hin n v di mt. Hin nay, phn ln cc Vin o lng quc gia ca cc nc tin tin u dng laser kh He-Ne n nh tn s bng Iodine bc sng 633nm lm chun u quc gia cho n v di mt. Do c ch hot ng ca laser kh He-Ne vi bung cng hng Faby-Perot, xut hin "ch lm Lamb" (Lamb dip). Hiu ng ny do Lamb ch ra bng l thuyt sau c thc nghim xc nhn li. Trn cngtua ca ng cong khuych i (Gain line) xut hin mt ch lm.
Trong Laser kh do s chuyn ng nhit ca cc nguyn t kh nn xut hin
nhiu nhm nguyn t chuyn ng vi cc vn tc khc nhau. Gi s bc x laser c tn s w w0 (tn s tm) i trong bung cng hng theo mt phng no , n s tng tc vi cc nhm nguyn t c tc v ngc li vi phng ca bc x s dn n lm gim nghch o tch lu v ng cong khuch i c s sinh hc (hole - burning). Hon ton tng t vi vi bc x i theo chiu ngc li s gp cc nhm nguyn t c vn tc v, kt qu trn ng cng tua ng cong khuch i xut hin hai hc i xng so vi tm vch. rng ca hc bng m rng t nhin trong bc x Laser.
Khi w = w0 bc x laser s ch tng tc vi cc nhm nguyn t c tc v =
0 v s sinh ra mt hc tm, chnh l Lamb dip nh thng gi. Chnh nh hiu ng trn ngi ta s dng n n nh tn s. V rng hc nh nn v tr ca hc xc nh kh chnh xc ch cc tiu ca hc cho php n nh tn s pht Laser. Vi ngun Laser kh He-Ne ngi ta xc nh tn s pht ch cc tiu ca hc ni trn vi chnh xc 10-9
ng Iodine c lp bn trong hc laser , bc x quang hc l rt mnh
(10 mW). iu ny lm cho cc tn hiu hp th bo ho rt hp, laser c iu chnh v gi c nh ti mt trong by vch hp th ca Iodine di s kim sot ca thit b in t.