Optical pumping of a ruby laser is achieved using photons of energy 2.25 eV. The laser light consists of photons of energy 1.79 eV, emitted in a transition that goes to ground. What is the energy of the transition from the pumped stated to the metastable state?
A) 2.25 eV
B) 1.79 eV
C) 4.04 eV
D) 0.46 eV
E) 1.30 eV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy of the transition from the pumped state to the metastable state is the difference between the energy used to pump the ruby laser (2.25 eV) and the energy of the photons emitted by the laser (1.79 eV). Therefore, the energy of this transition is 2.25 eV - 1.79 eV = 0.46 eV.

Optical Pumping of a Ruby Laser Is Achieved Using Photons