Chapter 30, Problem 34PE

Some of the most powerful lasers are based on the energy levels of neodymium in solids, such as glass, as shown in Figure 30.65. (a) What average wavelength light can pump the neodymium into the levels above its metastable state? (b) Verify that the 1.17 eV transition produces 1.06 $\text{μm}$ radiation.

Figure 30.65 Neodymium atoms in glass have these energy levels, one of which is metastable. The group of levels above the metastable state is convenient for achieving a population inversion, since photons of many different energies can be absorbed by atoms in the ground state.