Stimulated emission times this net transition rate. In order for this to be a positive number, indicating net stimulated emission, there must be more atoms in the excited state than in the lower level: formula_6. Otherwise there is net absorption and the power of the wave is reduced during passage through the medium. The special condition formula_7 is known as a population inversion, a rather unusual condition that must be effected in the gain medium of a laser. The notable characteristic of stimulated emission compared to everyday light sources (which depend on spontaneous emission) is that the emitted photons have the same
Stimulated emission to the number of atoms in the lower state, "N". Einstein showed that the coefficient for this transition must be identical to that for stimulated emission: Thus absorption and stimulated emission are reverse processes proceeding at somewhat different rates. Another way of viewing this is to look at the "net" stimulated emission or absorption viewing it as a single process. The net rate of transitions from "E" to "E" due to this combined process can be found by adding their respective rates, given above: Thus a net power is released into the electric field equal to the photon energy "hν"