A groundbreaking new study at the University of Surrey may change the way scientists understand and describe lasers and establish a new relationship between classical physics and quantum physics.
In a comprehensive study published in the journal Advances in Quantum Electronics, a researcher from the University of Surrey and a colleague from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany and Fraunhofer International The orthodox theory of laser principle and laser spectral linewidth-the basis for controlling and measuring the wavelength of light-has been questioned.
In this new study, the researchers discovered that a basic principle of lasers, that light amplification compensates for laser losses, is only an approximation. The team quantified a tiny excess loss and explained that it is not balanced by the amplified light, but by the normal luminescence inside the laser, providing an answer for the laser spectral linewidth.
One of the loss mechanisms is the optical external coupling of lasers. The laser beams produced have been used in many fields such as automobile manufacturing, communications, laser surgery and GPD.
Markus Pollnau, Professor of Photonics at the University of Surrey, said: "Since the laser was invented in 1960, in textbooks and university teaching around the world, the spectral linewidth of laser has been ignored in laser descriptions because of its quantum Physics interpretation brings great challenges to the lecturer."
He said: "As we explained in this study, an easy-to-understand derivation of laser line width, coupled with basic classical physics, can prove that quantum physics is completely wrong in trying to explain laser line width. This result has a significant impact on quantum physics."