Lasers :: essays research papers

When mostpeople see a optical maser beam they are amazed by itsunique physical properties. optical maser light is so uniquefrom other light because it is coherent irrelevantordinary light, which travels in all directions, optical maserlight travels in a straight beam. The word laser isan acronym for Light Amplification by turned on(p)Emission of Radiation. The history of the laser isvery interesting. Lasers affirm changed immenselysince they were offset invented. Before the laser wasinvented, Charles Townes developed the maser in1954. The maser has basically the same principlesas the laser, but it involves microwaves instead oflight. The maser lead Theodore Maximan toassemble the first working laser in 1960 he didthis by applying the masers qualities to light. Thisfirst substantialness laser was a ruby crystal laser. Ayear after the first solid-state laser was invented,the first gas laser was constructed by Ali Javan,W. R. Bennett, and D. R. Herriot. This was ahelium-neon la ser. The helium-neon laser is themost common laser found today. Many othertypes of lasers have been invented since then thesemiconductor laser (1962), the chemical laser(1964), the liquid laser (1966), and the freeelectron laser (1977). All lasers work basically onthe same principles. First the atoms in thesubstance used are pumped. For example, thehelium and neon would be pumped in ahelium-neon laser. This is where the electrons ofthe atoms jump to higher(prenominal) orbitals, which havemore energy. The substance sight be pumped byusing flashlamps, other lasers, atomic explosions,electric discharges, solar energy, and etc... Whenthe atoms are pumped, they transact stimulatedemission. This is where the electrons arestimulated by photons to release coherent photonsof a single frequency and color. After the pumping make for, the oscillation process takes place. In thisprocess energy is amplified to make it strongerand more useful. This is d champion by bouncing thephotons amongst t wo mirrors until they seize acertain intensity. The two mirrors are one of 100percent efficiency and one of a lesser efficiency.When the photons reach the certain intensity, theyleave the mirror of lesser efficiency in a coherentbeam. There are basically four main types oflasers solid-state, gas, liquid, and semi-conductor.solid lasers are made from a crystallinematerial such as ruby. The crystals have impuritiesin them that can be stimulated to release ray of lightin a coherent fashion. These impurities are neededto make the laser last for long periods of time. Ifthe crystals do not have impurities, then they canhave some added this is called "doping." Thecrystals in solid state lasers are commonly pumped byusing flashlamps. Gas laser beams are oftentimes more