non-radiative transitions (original) (raw)

Author: the photonics expert (RP)

Definition: transitions between energy levels of atoms or ions which are not associated with the emission of light

Category: article belongs to category physical foundations physical foundations

laser physics

Opposite term: radiative transitions

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DOI: 10.61835/wc1 Cite the article: BibTex BibLaTex plain text HTML Link to this page! LinkedIn

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Principle of Non-radiative Transitions

Atoms and ions, such as laser-active ions in laser gain media, have various excited energy levels. Transitions of such atoms and ions to lower-lying levels are often associated with the emission of photons (light). The generated photons carry with them the difference of energy between the involved energy levels. However, particularly in solid media there are also quenching mechanisms which allow for non-radiative transitions (or nonradiative or radiationless transitions), i.e., transitions not involving light. The excess energy is then dissipated in some other way — in most cases, in the form of phonons, which are associated with lattice vibrations of a solid. In liquids, similar phenomena can occur, but hardly in gases, where the atoms or molecules are not in contact with others for most of the time and therefore rarely have a chance to dissipate excitation energy non-radiatively.

Dependence on the Size of the Energy Gap

Phonon emission is a very rapid process in solids in cases where the transition energy is smaller than the energy of some of the phonons of the lattice. The radiative transition is then effectively bypassed and cannot be observed. For larger transition energies, only multiphonon transitions are possible, where one transition involves the emission of multiple phonons. The rate of such processes becomes rather small when more than about three phonons need to be emitted.

Quenching by Impurities or Lattice Defects

There are also quenching processes related to impurities or lattice defects, which have additional electronic levels to which excitation energy can be transferred. Such impurities or defects may affect only those ions which are sufficiently close to them, unless the laser ions are sufficiently close to each other to facilitate rapid energy transfer between them.

Effects on Laser Performance

In some cases, nonradiative transitions significantly decrease the upper-state lifetime of laser gain media and thus decrease (quench) the upper-level population. This results in a higher laser threshold and reduced power efficiency, as well as a reduced maximum amount of laser gain. If such nonradiative processes bypassing the laser transition are very strong, they may prevent lasing altogether.

In many cases, however, nonradiative transition rates are negligible compared with the radiative ones, because the energy gap is too large for effective multiphonon emission.

On the other hand, nonradiative transitions are essential for the function of many solid-state laser gain media: They often facilitate the population in the upper laser level, if pumping occurs to a higher-lying level, and they also often help to depopulate the lower laser level and thus to avoid reabsorption losses.

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ section was generated with AI based on the article content and has been reviewed by the article’s author (RP).

What is a non-radiative transition?

A non-radiative transition is a process where an atom or ion in an excited energy level moves to a lower one without emitting a photon. In solids, the excess energy is typically dissipated as heat in the form of lattice vibrations (phonons).

How do non-radiative transitions affect laser performance?

They can be detrimental by reducing the upper-state lifetime and quenching the laser gain, which increases the laser threshold and lowers efficiency. However, they are also often essential for populating the upper laser level and depopulating the lower one.

How does the energy gap between levels influence non-radiative transitions?

The transition rate is very high if the energy gap is smaller than the energy of available phonons. For larger gaps, much slower multiphonon transitions are required, and their rate decreases sharply as the number of required phonons increases.

Why are non-radiative transitions rare in gases?

In gases, atoms or molecules are mostly isolated and rarely interact with others. This lack of constant contact makes it difficult to dissipate excitation energy non-radiatively, which typically requires interaction with a surrounding medium like a solid lattice.

Bibliography

[1]	Z. Burshtein, “Radiative, nonradiative, and mixed-decay transitions of rare-earth ions in dielectric media”, Opt. Eng. 49, 091005 (2010); doi:10.1117/1.3483907

(Suggest additional literature!)

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