What occurs during stimulated emission?

During stimulated emission, an incoming photon interacts with an excited atom, prompting it to release a second photon that has the same energy, frequency, and phase as the incoming one. This emitted photon travels in the same direction as the incoming photon, creating a coherent wave. The phenomenon is fundamental in laser operation, where this process leads to the amplification of light through multiple stimulated emissions, resulting in a highly focused and coherent beam.

The other choices describe different processes that do not accurately depict stimulated emission. An excited atom releasing a photon in a random direction refers to spontaneous emission, where the direction of the emitted photon is isotropic and not influenced by external photons. The reference to an energized atom dropping to a higher state is incorrect as atoms cannot drop to a higher state; they can either stay in an excited state or fall to a lower energy state. Lastly, the absorption of energy from two incident photons does not occur in the context of stimulated emission; instead, photons can interact with atoms through processes such as pair production or two-photon absorption, which are distinct from the concept of stimulated emission.