1.  Normally, most matter exists at a ground-state energy level. In order for lasing action to occur, there must be more atoms at an excited state than at the ground-state. From the moment the energy source starts imparting energy onto the active gain medium, there is a series of steps that occur before the active gain medium is able to produce coherent, monochromatic light. Describe those steps in detail, including how the photons initially get released; their directionality; how they interact with ground-state atoms; and how they interact with excited state atoms.