Carbon dioxide (CO₂) Lasers : Technique To Detect Radioactive Materials:
Physicists in the US have demonstrated a novel technique to detect radioactive materials remotely using carbon dioxide (CO₂) lasers.
- The first CO₂ laser was developed by Indian-American scientist C.K.N. Patel.
- It is a four-level molecular gas laser that operates using vibrational energy states of CO₂ molecules.
- Highly efficient, producing high-power continuous or pulsed output.
- A CO₂ molecule consists of one carbon atom at the center and two oxygen atoms on either side. It vibrates in three independent modes:
- Oxygen atoms move simultaneously towards or away from the fixed carbon atom.
- Carbon and oxygen atoms vibrate perpendicular to the molecular axis.
- Oxygen atoms move in one direction, while the carbon atom moves in the opposite direction.
- The laser transition occurs between vibrational energy states of CO₂ molecules.
- Energy is transferred from excited nitrogen (N₂) molecules to CO₂, achieving the population inversion necessary for laser action.
