New Delhi, May 10 (IANS). The word laser is heard everywhere these days. It is being used in almost every field like barcode scanner, laser printer, eye surgery. Not only this, laser light can also measure the distance to the moon. What exactly is a laser and how does it work?
American space agency NASA gives detailed information about laser, according to which laser produces a very thin beam of light which is used in many technologies and devices. The word laser is short for ‘Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation’.
It can be said that laser is a unique source of light. It is quite different from a common bulb or torch. The laser produces a very thin beam of light. This type of lighting is useful for many technologies and devices.
Now the question is how does laser work? So scientists explain that its rays move in the form of waves, the distance between the peaks of a wave is called wavelength. Sunlight and common bulb light are composed of light of many different wavelengths. However, laser is quite different from these. In this, the wavelength of all the waves of light is almost the same. The laser light waves travel together, with their peaks lining up or ‘in-phase’. This is why laser beams are thin, bright and can be focused to a very small point.
Since laser light remains focused and does not spread out much, laser beams can cover very long distances. They can also focus a lot of energy on a very small area.
Lasers have many uses. Lasers are used in precision tools. These can also cut diamond or thick metal. They are also designed to assist in delicate surgeries. Lasers are used to record and retrieve information. They are used to carry communication, TV and Internet signals. Lasers can also be found in printers, bar code scanners and DVD players. They also help in making parts of computers and other electronic devices.
Not only this, laser is also used in spectrometers which help scientists to find out what things are made of. NASA’s ‘Curiosity Rover’ used a laser spectrometer on Mars. Scientists have also measured the distance between the Moon and the Earth with the help of laser. The biggest feature of laser is that it can be controlled very precisely.
–IANS
mt/pm