Laser Beam

The word 'laser' is an abbreviated form of the term, Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser beam is actually an electromagnetic radiation emitted from a device called laser. The main characteristic of a laser is emitting light with high temporal and spatial coherence. The process of optical amplification lies at the core of production of laser beam. The photons produced by stimulation are emitted in the form of laser beam.
Facts about Laser Beam
The light produced by laser is in the form of a narrow beam. It can be concentrated on tiny spots. Irradiance of a high degree can therefore, be achieved; the concept of irradiance is described as the power of electromagnetic radiation per unit area at a given surface. Another way in which the laser beam is launched/directed is that in which low divergence is achieved. It allows the power to concentrate even at a longer distance from the source of light.
History of Laser
Theodore Maiman is credited with the demonstration of working of laser for the first time in 1960. He gave the demonstration of laser's working at the Hughes Research Laboratories. Albert Einstein talked about the subject of laser in one of his papers in 1917. Einstein also spoke about Rudolph W. Landenburg in this paper. Landenburg was the person who had supported/confirmed the existence of emissions produced by stimulation in 1928. Valentin A. Fabrikant in 1939 made a prediction about use of such kind of stimulated in reality. The serious study of laser technology had started in the year 1957 and it was carried out by Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes. The use of laser technology in barcode applications for departmental stores supermarkets began in the year 1974.
Applications of Laser Beam
The laser beam is used in many different fields. It is commonly used in the operation of CDs and DVDs. Computer mice, optical scanners,laser pointers and printers are other devices in which laser beam finds application. It is also used in the production of holograms. The survey of land required in building construction is carried out by means of laser beams. In the medical field surgeries and cosmetic procedures are conducted with the help of laser beams. Get more information on laser eye surgery. A microwave amplifier that worked on the principles of laser was produced by Herbert J.Zeiger and James P.Gordon in 1953.
Laser Beam Welding
It is a technique used to weld/join together metal pieces by means of laser beam. The benefit of using laser beam for welding is that the source of heat can be concentrated in a narrow space; it allows for deep welds. The success rate of welding too is high. The laser beam welding process mostly finds applications in the automotive industry. The gas-state and solid-state are two types of lasers used in welding. In the solid-state lasers chromium, synthetic ruby and aluminum oxide are the media being used. A mixture of nitrogen, helium and carbon dioxide is used in the gas lasers. The purpose of both gas-state and solid state lasers is however, the same i.e. production of stimulated photons.
Laser Beam Divergence
The rate at which a laser beam expands from the beam waist is referred to as its divergence. A beam with a low divergence is considered better from the point of operation of these devices. The different techniques such as scanning pinholes, variable apertures, CCD relays and knife edges are used in the measurement of laser beam divergence. The beam profiler makes it easy to measure the divergence.
The laser beam is an important invention and has great scope for technological development. Improvements in the fields like medicine, entertainment, defense, computing, telecommunications, etc. can be brought about by means of laser beam technology. Even today, we can find many applications of this technology including that of laser cutting and many others.
The article deals with information about the topic of laser beam in short. It helps understand the properties of this beam and the applications/uses. The laser beam is an important invention as it helps in carrying complicated tasks including surgeries, welding narrows points, etc.