How Lasers Work

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A few decades back, if anyone was asked what a laser is, they might have very well had a very perplexed look on their face. But in today’s world, with lasers having many applications and uses, most people are aware of what a laser is, even though they might not understand how a laser works. This article aims to educate you on the workings of a laser.

What Is A Laser

A laser is not a word in itself but is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Once you understand what the different letters of L.A.S.E.R mean, you can understand how laser works.

L indicates Light. The laser is a kind of beam that utilizes the force of light and directs this light for its power. Amplification refers to magnifying this light and making the laser as intense or not as you wish. But where does this light come from?

The light comes from Stimulation. Atoms are made of electrons, which in turn have a very interesting property. When these electrons are excited, they become elevated to a state that is much higher than their relaxed state. At this state, the electrons release their excess energy by giving off a photon (particle) of light, and then go back to their normal state. Thus, it follows that if many electrons are charged up at once, they will collectively release many photons, which means a lot of light energy.

How do the electrons get excited? Well, this is where Stimulation (S) comes in. If the electrons of a particular substance are stimulated by light, they will get charged up and release photons of the same color. This release of light energy is known as Emission (E). The entire process of the stimulated emission of the photons is known as Radiation (R).

When this process is carried out in a controlled environment, with the use of mirrors and lenses to collect the released photons and emit them in one direction, in a single powerful line, a LASER is finally born.

Thus, a laser is created from light, and the resulting laser light has special properties that are very different and unique from regular light. A laser can be of different types and strengths. A laser can be very tiny so as to be almost invisible, and can be very large so as to occupy an entire room.

The laser is indeed a very useful and exciting invention, with many beneficial applications and uses.

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