Fast Facts About Laser

The word laser is an acronym or abbreviation for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.

A laser beam is a single wavelength light, coherent or focused and therefore can travel over vast distances. Laser is created when the gases in a chamber are excited into a non-equilibrium condition, thus when a photon of light is introduced into the excited mix of gases a coherent radiation is produced.

Lasers may operate in a continuous wave mode or in a pulsed mode. In the latter situation, the energy that results is stored or halted and suddenly released in a controlled sequence.

When laser beams are focused onto tiny spots, they can be put to vast array of applications or uses - medical, printing, communication, military, cutting and engraving, and so forth.

Image credit: National Ignition Facility, CA, USA

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