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Lasers Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz about the fundamentals of lasers.

A multiple-choice quiz by macluv. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
macluv

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
173,473

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1222

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. A collection of atoms or molecules that can be excited to a higher energy state is called an active medium. The first step to getting output from a laser is to excite an active medium. What is this process called? Hint

priming

pumping

exciting

raising

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Question 2 of 10

2. Once the active medium is excited, the first photons of light are produced by which physical process? Hint

blackbody radiation

Planck's oscillation

synchrotron radiation

spontaneous emission

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Question 3 of 10

3. After the first photons of light are produced, which process is responsible for amplification of the light? Hint

blackbody radiation

Einstein oscillation

Planck's radiation

stimulated emission

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Question 4 of 10

4. The next step is to reflect some of the light back into the active medium. This is usually done by placing the active medium between two reflecting surfaces, either two mirrors or the end cuts of a crystal. What is the space between the reflecting surfaces called? Hint

Bragg reflector

hot zone

cavity

reaction chamber

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Question 5 of 10

5. Now the laser is working. At this point, what do we say the laser is doing? Hint

lasing

glowing

emitting

shining

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Question 6 of 10

6. The forerunner of the laser was the maser. What does the "m" in maser stand for? Hint

micron

microwave

millimeter

military

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Question 7 of 10

7. What was the active medium used in the first working laser ever constructed? Hint

a ruby rod

carbon dioxide gas

helium-neon gas

a diamond block

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Question 8 of 10

8. What is the process responsible for producing photons in a diode laser? Hint

majority carrier injection

Fermi level shift

electron-hole recombination

carrier freeze out

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Question 9 of 10

9. Some lasers are referred to as being "cw." What does "cw" mean? Hint

continuous wave

clear white

constant white

circular wave

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Question 10 of 10

10. What are three types of lasers? Hint

gas, metal vapor, rock

pointer, diode, CD

diode, inverted, pointer

gas, solid state, diode

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: pumping

Before lasing can occur, the active media is "pumped". The process of raising the atoms in the active media from a lower energy state to a higher state is like pumping water up from a well.

2. Once the active medium is excited, the first photons of light are produced by which physical process?

Answer: spontaneous emission

Spontaneous emission is what you see with most "glow in the dark" toys. You excite the toy by exposing it to bright light, then the toy glows in the dark by spontaneously emitting photons as the excited atoms relax back down to their normal state.

3. After the first photons of light are produced, which process is responsible for amplification of the light?

Answer: stimulated emission

The word "laser" is actually an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Atoms or molecules of the active medium that have been excited to a higher energy level are stimulated by a passing photon to relax to a lower energy level and emit a photon that is indistinguishable from the passing photon, thereby increasing the number of photons like the incident one.

Answer: cavity

The reflecting surfaces and the cavity together are called a resonator, which is a term borrowed from microwave engineering. A Bragg reflector is another way to reflect the photons that distributes the reflector along the active medium rather than having all the reflections occur at the ends.

5. Now the laser is working. At this point, what do we say the laser is doing?

Answer: lasing

In common technical jargon, the laser lases, the laser did lase, and the laser is lasing.

6. The forerunner of the laser was the maser. What does the "m" in maser stand for?

Answer: microwave

Charles Townes invented the maser while working at Columbia University during the 1950's. Maser is an acronym for microwave amplification by stimulated electron radiation.

7. What was the active medium used in the first working laser ever constructed?

Answer: a ruby rod

Theodore Maiman built the first working laser using a ruby rod while working at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. It lased for the first time on May 16, 1960.

8. What is the process responsible for producing photons in a diode laser?

Answer: electron-hole recombination

As electrons in semiconductor materials are excited to higher energy levels they leave behind "holes" in the lower energy bands. As the electron relaxes back to its normal energy, the electrons fill the holes, recombine, and a photon may be produced.

9. Some lasers are referred to as being "cw." What does "cw" mean?

Answer: continuous wave

Some lasers can produce only pulses of light while others can produce a continuous beam. The latter are referred to as continuous wave, or "cw" for short.

10. What are three types of lasers?

Answer: gas, solid state, diode

The first laser was a solid state laser. Solid state refers to any solid material like a glass rod. Diode lasers are very common because they are used to read compact disks and digital video disks in computers, CD players, and DVD players. Before diode lasers, the most common type of laser may have been the helium-neon laser, in which the active medium is a combination of the two gasses helium and neon.

Source: Author macluv

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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