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population inversion

noun

, Physics.
  1. 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

  1. 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.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of population inversion1

First recorded in 1960–65

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population geneticspopulation parameter