Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation is the full form of LASER. A LASER is a type of electromagnetic machine that can emit light, which is electromagnetic radiation. Such lights are coherent and very weak. They are produced by a method called optical amplification.
History of LASER
Albert Einstein was the first person to talk about the LASER process. However, the system was fully developed in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman. LASER was primarily based on the concept of Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow.
Principle of LASER
A simple laser consists of a chamber referred to as a cavity that is built to reflect waves of visible, infrared, or ultraviolet radiation to reinforce each other. A cavity can contain either liquids, solids or gases. The choice of cavity material determines the output wavelength. Mirrors are placed at both ends of the cavity. One of the mirrors is fully reflective so no light gets through. The second mirror is partially reflective and allows 5 percent of the light to pass through. Energy is pumped into the cavity from an external source using a method known as pumping.
The waves between the mirrors bounce back and forth. The length of the cavity is such that the reflected waves reinforce each other. At the end of the cavity with a partially reflective mirror, electromagnetic waves emerge in harmony with each other. The output of the laser is a coherent electric field. Both the waves have the same phase and frequency in a coherent beam of electromagnetic energy.
Types of LASERS
Below is a list of LASER types depending on their wavelengths and applications.
- Gas LASER
- Semiconductor LASER
- Chemical LASER
- Liquid or Dye LASER
- Excimer LASER
Application of LASER
- Lasers are used in DVD, CD and barcode scanners.
- Lasers are used in various types of equipment, i.e. drilling, cutting, surfacing, welding and soldering equipment.
- Lasers are used in medical devices such as dental treatment devices, cosmetic treatment devices.
- It is used in laser printing devices.
- LASER is used in military equipment (anti-missile devices) and is an integral part of fusion reactors.
Features of LASER
The characteristics of the laser beam can be divided into four main groups, such as
- Excellent cohesion
- Excellent monochromaticity
- High performance
- Excellent directivity
Using these laser properties, they are used in various fields such as optical communication and protection.
Advantages of LASER
- It is used for information transfer in the field of communication because it has a huge capacity to support information.
- This principle of non-interference of electromagnetic radiation is used in wireless communication systems over free space for telecommunication and computer networks, because laser radiation is free of this interference.
- Laser radiation involves very little signal leakage.
- Laser-based optical wires are used in fiber optic systems because they are very light.
- Lasers are commonly used for cancer diagnosis in the medical sector because they are less harmful than X-rays. They are used to burn small tumors on the surface of the eye and the surface of the tissue.
Disadvantages of LASER
- Lasers are expensive, so there is a large expense for patients who need laser-based treatment options.
- Lasers are expensive to maintain and therefore incur high costs for doctors and hospital administrators.
- Lasers increase convolution and treatment time based on the laser device.