LASER

A laser is a device that emits light (electromagnetic radiation) through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The emitted laser light is notable for its high degree of spatial and temporal coherence, unattainable using other technologies. Most so-called "single wavelength" lasers actually produce radiation in several modes having slightly different frequencies (wavelengths), often not in a single polarization. And although temporal coherence implies monochromaticity, there are even lasers that emit a broad spectrum of light, or emit different wavelengths of light simultaneously. There are some lasers which are not single spatial mode and consequently their light beams diverge more than required by the diffraction limit. However all such devices are classified as "lasers" based on their method of producing that light called stimulated emission. Lasers are employed in applications where light of the required spatial or temporal coherence could not be produced using simpler technologies.

WORKING:
Two coherent laser beams derived from a single source intersect at a fixed angle. The intersection volume of the two beams is positioned on the sample surface. The wave fronts of the two beams interfere in the intersection volume and form an interference pattern. The fringes of the pattern have a known distance depending on the wavelength of the laser and the angle between the two beams.

For simplicity, assume that an element with a velocity component perpendicular to the center axis is moving through the intersection volume. The element will scatter light with its amplitude modulated by the local intensity contrast. The frequency of the modulation is proportional to the velocity of the element. Thus when recording the intensity signal the motion of elements within the observation area can be calculated. A typical sample with its natural roughness contains scattering elements everywhere on its surface which allows the measurement of the amount of material moving through the observation area. By simultaneous measurement at two points of the sample surface the relative motion between these two points can be determined. This allows the use of the measuring arrangement as an extensometer.

RUBY LASER:
The ruby laser is the first type of laser actually constructed, first demonstrated in 1960 by T. H. Maiman. The ruby mineral (corundum) is aluminum oxide with a small amount (about 0.05%) of chromium which gives it its characteristic pink or red color by absorbing green and blue light. The ruby laser is used as a pulsed laser, producing red light at 694.3 nm. After receiving a pumping flash from the flash tube, the laser light emerges for as long as the excited atoms persist in the ruby rod, which is typically about a millisecond. A pulsed ruby laser was used for the famous laser ranging experiment which was conducted with a corner reflector placed on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts. This determined the distance to the Moon with an accuracy of about 15 cm.

TYPES OF LASER:
a. According to their sources: 1. Gas Lasers 2. Crystal Lasers 3. Semiconductors Lasers 4. Liquid Lasers b. According to the nature of emission: 1. Continuous Wave 2. Pulsed Laser c. According to their wavelength: 1. Visible Region 2. Infrared Region 3. Ultraviolet Region 4. Microwave Region 5. X-Ray Region

MEDICAL APPLICATON OF LASER:

The highly collimated beam of a laser can be further focused to a microscopic dot of extremely high energy density. This makes it useful as a cutting and cauterizing instrument. Lasers are used for photocoagulation of the retina to halt retinal hemorrhaging and for the tacking of retinal tears. Higher power lasers are used after cataract surgery if the supportive membrane surrounding the implanted lens becomes milky. Photo disruption of the membrane often can cause it to draw back like a shade, almost instantly restoring vision. A focused laser can act as an extremely sharp scalpel for delicate surgery, cauterizing as it cuts. ("Cauterizing" refers to long-standing medical practices of using a hot instrument or a high frequency electrical probe to singe the tissue around an incision, sealing off tiny blood vessels to stop bleeding.) The cauterizing action is particularly important for surgical procedures in blood-rich tissue such as the liver. Lasers have been used to make incisions half a micron wide, compared to about 80 microns for the diameter of a human hair.

SCIENTIFIC APPLICATION OF LASER:

In science, lasers are used in many ways, including:

A wide variety of interferometric techniques Raman spectroscopy Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy Atmospheric remote sensing. Investigating nonlinear optics phenomena Holographic techniques employing lasers also contribute to a number of measurement techniques. Laser based Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology has application in geology, seismology, remote sensing and atmospheric physics. Lasers have been used aboard spacecraft such as in the Cassini Huygens mission. In astronomy, lasers have been used to create artificial laser guide stars, used as reference objects for adaptive optics telescopes.