Page 267 - Tunable Lasers Handbook
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6  Transition Metal Solid-state Lasers   227
































                                                           3T4
                                                        \
                                  Central   Mutual      Crystal     Spin
                                  Potential   Repulsion   Field     Orbit
                              FIGURE 2  Effect of various interactions on transition metal atoms.




                    may even be  larger than mutual repulsion.  Consequently,  the mutgal repulsion
                    and the crystal field effects are often considered together rather than using suc-
                    cessive perturbations to the electron configuration.
                        Finally. the spin orbit interaction also contributes to the energy. Spin orbit
                    interaction arises from the interaction of the magnetic forces associated with the
                    spin  of  the  electron  and  the  orbit  of  the  electron.  Magnetic forces  arise  since
                    both  the  spin and the angular momentum  involve moving charges or currents.
                    Currents, in turn. produce magnetic fields. Magnetic fields can alter the energy
                    by orienting their magnetic poles to be parallel or antiparallel. Usually  the spin
                    orbit interaction has only a small contribution to the energy of the various levels.
                    The nomenclature associated with the energy levels of the transition metal lasers
                    reflects the forces that determine them. A typical energy level is designated as
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