Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Alkali Metals03:06

Alkali Metals

Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
Flame Photometry: Lab01:16

Flame Photometry: Lab

In a flame photometer, when a solution like potassium chloride is aspirated into the flame, the solvent evaporates, leaving behind dehydrated salt. This salt dissociates into free gaseous atoms in their ground state. Some of these atoms absorb energy from the flame, leading to their excitation. The excited atoms return to the ground state, emitting photons at characteristic wavelengths. Because only electronic transitions are involved, the resulting emission lines are very narrow. The intensity...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab01:29

Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab

AES is a powerful analytical technique, especially effective when used with plasma sources, producing abundant spectra in characteristic emission lines. The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), in particular, yields superior quantitative analytical data due to its high stability, low noise, low background, and minimal interferences under optimal experimental conditions. However, newer air-operated microwave sources are emerging as promising alternatives that could be more cost-effective than...
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Radiation and Light Sources01:13

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Radiation and Light Sources

Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) relies on the Beer-Lambert law, which requires that the radiation source emits a narrow range of wavelengths to match the absorption characteristics of the analyte atom. The primary criteria for choosing an appropriate radiation source in AAS is to provide a precise and intense emission at specific wavelengths that will allow accurate detection of the analyte.
Two common narrow-range 'line' sources used in AAS are hollow-cathode lamps (HCLs) and...
Ionization Energy03:12

Ionization Energy

The amount of energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from a gaseous atom in its ground state is called its first ionization energy (IE1). The first ionization energy for an element, X, is the energy required to form a cation with 1+ charge:
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes03:08

Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

In addition to the oxymercuration–demercuration method, which converts the alkenes to alcohols with Markovnikov orientation, a complementary hydroboration-oxidation method yields the anti-Markovnikov product. The hydroboration reaction, discovered in 1959 by H.C. Brown, involves the addition of a B–H bond of borane to an alkene giving an organoborane intermediate. The oxidation of this intermediate with basic hydrogen peroxide forms an alcohol.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Passive mode-locked cesium diode-pumped alkali laser.

Optics letters·2022
Same author

Narrowband diode laser pump module for pumping alkali vapors.

Optics express·2018
Same author

Beam quality measurement of a static-cell cesium DPAL with a stable resonator.

Optics express·2018
Same author

Measurements of the gain medium temperature in an operating Cs DPAL.

Optics express·2016
Same author

Continuous wave Cs diode pumped alkali laser pumped by single emitter narrowband laser diode.

The Review of scientific instruments·2015
Same author

In situ non-perturbative temperature measurement in a Cs alkali laser.

Optics letters·2014
Same journal

Denoising algorithm of Φ-OTDR systems based on adaptive fractional wavelet transform denoising.

Optics express·2026
Same journal

Millisecond photon-to-photon latency and high-speed volumetric projection system for optogenetics.

Optics express·2026
Same journal

Polarization-encoded coaxial structured light for high-precision 3D surface profilometry.

Optics express·2026
Same journal

Discrete freeform optical design based on collaborative optimization of point cloud and local normals.

Optics express·2026
Same journal

Ultrafast ghost imaging with 25 GHz speckle switching and wavelength-division multiplexing.

Optics express·2026
Same journal

Atomic vapor cells fabricated by femtosecond laser welding of standard-optical-quality glass.

Optics express·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown
09:40

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown

Published on: February 14, 2014

Photoionization in alkali lasers.

R J Knize1, B V Zhdanov, M K Shaffer

  • 1US Air Force Academy, Department of Physics, Laser and Optics Research Center, 2354 Fairchild Dr., Ste. 2A31,USAF Academy, Colorado 80840, USA.

Optics Express
|April 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Photoionization significantly degrades alkali laser performance by reducing alkali atom density and gain. High calculated loss rates necessitate rapid gas flow for continuous wave operation.

More Related Videos

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
06:53

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Published on: July 27, 2018

Photoselective Vaporesection of the Prostate via an End-firing Lithium Triborate Crystal Laser
07:17

Photoselective Vaporesection of the Prostate via an End-firing Lithium Triborate Crystal Laser

Published on: May 9, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown
09:40

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown

Published on: February 14, 2014

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
06:53

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Published on: July 27, 2018

Photoselective Vaporesection of the Prostate via an End-firing Lithium Triborate Crystal Laser
07:17

Photoselective Vaporesection of the Prostate via an End-firing Lithium Triborate Crystal Laser

Published on: May 9, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Atomic Physics
  • Laser Physics
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Alkali lasers are crucial for various applications.
  • Photoionization of alkali atoms is a known issue affecting laser performance.
  • Understanding photoionization rates is key to optimizing alkali laser operation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To calculate photoionization rates in alkali lasers.
  • To quantify the impact of photoionization on alkali atom density and laser gain.
  • To assess the necessity of high-flow rates for continuous wave (CW) operation.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical calculation of photoionization rates.
  • Modeling alkali atom loss in laser gain media.
  • Analysis of laser performance degradation due to photoionization.

Main Results:

  • Photoionization loss rates exceed 10^5 sec^-1 for Rubidium (Rb) and Cesium (Cs) lasers.
  • These high loss rates rapidly deplete neutral alkali atom density.
  • Significant reduction in laser gain is observed.

Conclusions:

  • Photoionization is a critical factor limiting alkali laser performance.
  • Fast gas flow, potentially supersonic, is required to maintain neutral alkali density for CW operation.
  • Mitigating photoionization effects is essential for advancing alkali laser technology.