What is the minimum intensity laser possible?

[Green Xenon]

Hi:

 

What is the minimum intensity laser possible?

 

1-photon-per-second is too small an intensity.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Green Xenon

[Mokele]

One that's turned off?

[greenprogrammin]

I would imagine it would depend on the type of laser.

If you consider the semiconductor based laser I would imagine it would depend on the semiconductor.

 

If the semiconductor was developed with nanotechology you could probably get the power consumption down very low. The amount of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) could be reduced.

 

You really would need to propose an application for this laser.

 

Coherence of the wavelenght is important for the photons to avoid bumping into each other. This reduces the scattering. To maintain the wave you would also have to consider the amplitude and frequency.

 

If you are talking about a single photon per second you are only considering only the actual amplification of the light through the stimulated emmision.

 

You would really need to explain your interest and /or application.

[Bob_for_short]

What is the minimum intensity laser possible? 1-photon-per-second is too small an intensity.

 

One photon per second is too low for a laser. To produce one photon per second you do not need a laser with its amplification effect. Any cold body can produce a one-photon average flux in a certain spectral diapason. It can be obtained from a laser too but not due to the laser mechanism.