LASER

More Than You Know

Somya Tyagi 10
th
Socrates
Table Of Contents
Introduction
The Basics
Absorbing Energy
The Laser/Atom Connection
Laser Light
How does Laser differ from Other Light?
Types Of Laser
Applications Of Laser
Everyday Applications
Bibliography



LASER is an acronym for
L = Light
A = Amplification
S = by Stimulated
E = Emission
R = of Radiation
Almost everyone probably knows that the police use
laser when they measure speed, but how many know
that you also use laser several times during an ordinary
day? You'll find it in CD players, laser printers and much,
much more.
The power contained in laser is both fascinating and
frightening.
Atoms are constantly in motion. They
continuously vibrate, move and rotate.
Atoms can be in different states of excitation,
i.e., they can have different energies.
Apply a lot of energy to an atom, it can leave
what is called the ground-state energy
level and go to an excited level.

This reflects the core idea of how atoms work in terms of
lasers.
Once an electron moves to a higher-energy orbit, it
eventually wants to return to the ground state.
When it does, it releases its energy as a photon -- a particle
of light.
For example, when the heating element in a toaster turns
bright red, the red colour is caused by atoms, excited by
heat, releasing red photons. When you see a picture on
a TV screen, what you are seeing is atoms, excited by high-
speed electrons, emitting different colours of light.
Anything that produces light -- fluorescent lights, gas
lanterns, incandescent bulbs -- does it through the
action of electrons changing orbits and releasing photons.

The Laser/Atom Connection
A laser is a device that controls the way
that energized atoms release photons.
"Laser" is an acronym for light
amplification by stimulated emission
of radiation, which describes very
succinctly how a laser works.
In a laser, the lasing medium is
pumped to get the atoms into an
excited state.
The electron absorb some energy to
reach this excited level and then release
this energy.

The Laser/Atom Connection
This emitted energy comes in the
form of photons (light energy).
The photon emitted has a very
specific wavelength (colour) that
depends on the state of the electron's
energy when the photon is released.
Laser Light
Laser light has the following properties:
1. The light released is monochromatic. It contains one
specific wavelength of light (one specific colour).
2. The light released is coherent. It is organized -- each
photon moves in step with the others.
3. The light is very directional. A laser light has a very
tight beam and is very strong and concentrated.
To make these three properties occur takes something
called stimulated emission.

How Does Laser Light Differ from
Other Light?
Light is an electromagnetic wave.
Each wave has brightness and colour, and
vibrates at a certain angle.
This is also true for laser light but it is more
parallel than any other light source.
Every part of the beam has (almost) the exact
same direction and the beam will therefore
diverge very little.
TYPES OF LASERS
Solid-state lasers have lasing material distributed
in a solid matrix
Gas lasers (helium and helium-neon, are the most
common gas lasers) have a primary output of
visible red light. CO2 lasers are used for cutting
hard materials.
Excimer lasers (the name is derived from the
terms excited and dimers) use reactive gases, such
as chlorine and fluorine, mixed with inert gases
such as argon, krypton or xenon. When electrically
stimulated dimer is produced. When lased, the
dimer produces light in the ultraviolet range.
TYPES OF LASERS
Dye lasers use complex organic dyes in liquid
solution or suspension as lasing media.
Semiconductor lasers, sometimes called diode
lasers, are not solid-state lasers. They may be built
into larger arrays, such as the writing source in
some laser printers or CD players.

Applications Of LASERS
1. Industrial Applications of Laser :
Laser can be found in a broad range of applications within
industry, where it can be used for such things as pointing
and measuring.
Within the pulp mill industry the concentration of lye is
measured by observing how the laser beam refracts in it.
In the mining industry, laser is used to point out the
drilling direction.



Applications Of LASERS
2. Environmental Applications
Usage to determine from a distance the
environmental toxins in a column of smoke.
To supervise wastewater purification.

Applications Of LASERS
3. Research
Extremely important to researchers within physics,
chemistry, biology and medicine, used to:
register ultra fast chemical processes, like-bonding
between atoms to form molecules
study the process when cells split, or a virus enters into a
cell
manipulate molecules down to extremely low
temperatures;
transfer as much energy as possible to different materials
in a short time to obtain different types of emissions.


Applications Of LASERS
4. Communications
Works as a light source in all fibre optics in use.
Has greater bandwidth (potentially 100,000 times greater)
than an ordinary copper cable.
Is insensitive to interference from external electrical and
magnetic fields.
Crosstalk (hearing someone else's phone call) is of rare
occurrence.

Applications Of LASERS
5. Medicine
Used in medicine to improve precision work like surgery.
Brain surgery is an example of precision surgery that calls
for the surgeon to reach the intended area precisely.
Birthmarks, warts and discolouring of the skin can easily be
removed with an unfocused laser.
Operations are quick and heal quickly and, best of all, they
are less painful
Everyday Applications
DVD/VCD Players
Laser Printers
Laser Pointers and Writers
Laser Sights
Speed Measurements using Laser
Laser Distance Meter
Bar Code Readers in Retail Stores
By Hunters/Shooters instead of
ordinary telescope sights

www.howstuffworks.com
www.nobleprize.org
www.laserinternational.org
www.laser.com
www.hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
www.library.thinkquest.org
www.xamplified.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.thebigger.com
www.britannica.com