Lasers Essay Research Paper When mostpeople see

Lasers Essay, Research Paper

When most

people see a laser beam they are amazed by its

unique physical properties. Laser light is so unique

from other light because it is coherent; unlike

ordinary light, which travels in all directions, laser

light travels in a straight beam. The word laser is

an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated

Emission of Radiation. The history of the laser is

very interesting. Lasers have changed immensely

since they were first invented. Before the laser was

invented, Charles Townes developed the maser in

1954. The maser has basically the same principles

as the laser, but it involves microwaves instead of

light. The maser lead Theodore Maximan to

assemble the first working laser in 1960; he did

this by applying the masers qualities to light. This

first solid-state laser was a ruby crystal laser. A

year 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 a

helium-neon laser. The helium-neon laser is the

most common laser found today. Many other

types of lasers have been invented since then: the

semiconductor laser (1962), the chemical laser

(1964), the liquid laser (1966), and the free

electron laser (1977). All lasers work basically on

the same principles. First the atoms in the

substance used are pumped. For example, the

helium and neon would be pumped in a

helium-neon laser. This is where the electrons of

the atoms jump to higher orbitals, which have

more energy. The substance can be pumped by

using flashlamps, other lasers, atomic explosions,

electric discharges, solar energy, and etc… When

the atoms are pumped, they perform stimulated

emission. This is where the electrons are

stimulated by photons to release coherent photons

of a single frequency and color. After the pumping

process, the oscillation process takes place. In this

process energy is amplified to make it stronger

and more useful. This is done by bouncing the

photons between two mirrors until they reach a

certain intensity. The two mirrors are one of 100

percent efficiency and one of a lesser efficiency.

When the photons reach the certain intensity, they

leave the mirror of lesser efficiency in a coherent

beam. There are basically four main types of

lasers: solid-state, gas, liquid, and semi-conductor.

Solid-state lasers are made from a crystalline

material such as ruby. The crystals have impurities

in them that can be stimulated to release radiation

in a coherent fashion. These impurities are needed

to make the laser last for long periods of time. If

the crystals do not have impurities, then they can

have some added; this is called "doping." The

crystals in solid state lasers are usually pumped by

using flashlamps. Gas laser beams are much more

coherent than the beams of solid-state lasers. Gas

lasers are lasers that contain a tube of gas or a

mixture of gasses. The most common gas laser is

the helium-neon laser. Unlike solid-state lasers,

gas lasers are pumped by using electrical

discharges. Liquid lasers are usually filled with an

organic dye substance. These lasers allow

measurements to be taken on a scale never

thought possible. They can do this because they

can be flashed in pulses lasting only billionths of a

second. Liquid lasers are pumped in a very unique

way; they are pumped by using other lasers. The

ruby laser is the most commonly used for this

process. The semiconductor laser is the most

advanced of the four main types of lasers. These

lasers are able to be made smaller than any other

type of laser. This is because the semiconducting

substance used can be smaller than a grain of salt.

The most common semiconductor used in these

lasers is gallium arsenide. This type of laser is the

kind that is used for fiber optic communications.

Because there are so many types of lasers, they

can be used to do a variety of things. One thing

they can be used for is the measurement of

distance and motion. Lasers are great for this

because their frequencies are very sensitive to

motion; they can sense even the smallest of

movements. Lasers can be used for measurement

by comparing their wavelengths with a specific unit

of measurement. There are devices that can

measure the number of wavelengths in a desired

area, so they can be converted into a different unit.

Lasers are great for the measurement of optical

components such as lenses and prisms. Lasers are

also used a lot in industry. Cutting is one of the

applications of lasers in industry. Laser beams can

be focused into a very small

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