Differentiate between spontaneous and stimulated emission.
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to explain the differences between spontaneous emission and stimulated emission, which are two fundamental processes in quantum mechanics and photonics.
Answer
Spontaneous emission is random and natural, while stimulated emission is induced by a photon, resulting in coherent light.
Spontaneous emission occurs naturally and randomly without the need for interaction with other photons, and the emitted light has random direction and phase. Stimulated emission happens when an excited electron drops to a lower energy level due to interaction with an external photon, causing the emission of additional light that is coherent with the stimulating photon.
Answer for screen readers
Spontaneous emission occurs naturally and randomly without the need for interaction with other photons, and the emitted light has random direction and phase. Stimulated emission happens when an excited electron drops to a lower energy level due to interaction with an external photon, causing the emission of additional light that is coherent with the stimulating photon.
More Information
Stimulated emission underlies the operation of lasers, where coherent light is produced. Both emissions play significant roles in optical devices and quantum mechanics.
Sources
- 5.1 Spontaneous and stimulated emission - Optoelectronics - Fiveable - library.fiveable.me
- Differentiate Between Spontaneous and Stimulated Emission. - shaalaa.com
- The difference between spontaneous emissions and stimulated ... - eeworldonline.com
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