Related topics: laser

Controlling light while measuring trapped ion qubits

Quantum information is fragile and often difficult to protect during experiments. Protecting qubits from accidental measurements is essential for controlled quantum operations, especially during state-destroying measurements ...

New technology produces ultrashort ion pulses

TU Wien (Vienna) has succeeded in generating laser-synchronized ion pulses with a duration of well under 500 picoseconds, which can be used to observe chemical processes on material surfaces. The work has been published in ...

3D laser printing with bioinks from microalgae

Microalgae such as the diatom Odontella aurita and the green alga Tetraselmis striata are especially suitable as "biofactories" for the production of sustainable materials for 3D laser printing due to their high content in ...

page 1 from 40

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light (electromagnetic radiation) through a process called stimulated emission. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses. Typically, lasers are thought of as emitting light with a narrow wavelength spectrum ("monochromatic" light). This is not true of all lasers, however: some emit light with a broad spectrum, while others emit light at multiple distinct wavelengths simultaneously. The coherence of typical laser emission is distinctive. Most other light sources emit incoherent light, which has a phase that varies randomly with time and position.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA