population inversion, in physics, the redistribution of atomic energy levels that takes place in a system so that laser action can occur. Normally, a system of atoms is in temperature equilibrium and there are always more atoms in low energy states than in higher ones. Although absorption and emission of energy is a continuous process, the statistical distribution (population) of atoms in the various energy states is constant. When this distribution is disturbed by pumping energy into the system, a population inversion will take place in which more atoms will exist in the higher energy states than in the lower.
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