Gain Medium: The Heart of Light Amplification in Lasers

The gain medium is the core material in a laser that amplifies light through stimulated emission. It can be a

Population Inversion: A Prerequisite for Laser Operation

Population inversion occurs when more atoms or molecules occupy an excited energy state than a lower energy (usually ground) state—a

Stimulated Emission: The Basis of Laser Operation

Stimulated emission is a quantum process in which an incoming photon prompts an excited atom or molecule to emit a

Spontaneous Emission: Natural Photon Release by Excited Atoms

Spontaneous emission is the process by which an excited atom or molecule returns to a lower energy state by randomly

Optical Solitons: Stable Pulses in Nonlinear Media

Optical solitons are special light pulses that maintain their shape and speed over long distances during propagation through a medium,

Self-Focusing: Light Modifying Its Own Path

Self-focusing is a nonlinear optical phenomenon where an intense light beam modifies the refractive index of the medium it travels

Second-Harmonic Generation: Doubling the Frequency of Light

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process where two photons of the same frequency interact with a nonlinear material

Nonlinear Optics: Light Alters Light

Nonlinear optics is the study of how light interacts with matter in ways that depend nonlinearly on the intensity of

Optical Rotation: Twisting the Plane of Polarized Light

Optical rotation is the phenomenon where the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light rotates as it passes through an

Birefringence: Double Refraction in Anisotropic Materials

Birefringence is a phenomenon where a material splits incoming light into two rays traveling at different speeds due to having