Advertisement
Advertisement
population inversion
noun
, Physics.
- a condition of matter in which more electrons are in a high energy state than in a lower energy state, as is required for the operation of a laser.
population inversion
- The condition of having enough excited or high-energy states distributed throughout a substance to sustain a chain-reaction of stimulated emission. Lasers, for example, need a constant power source that maintains population inversion in order to generate radiation continuously, since each stimulated emission reduces the population of high-energy states.
- See also stimulated emission
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of population inversion1
First recorded in 1960–65
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse