Laser is an acronymn which stand for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission Radiation. There are so many types of lasers ranging from gas lasers to semiconductor lasers. All use the same physics to achieve their intended functions. Lasers can be used to correct eye defects, but also Lasers can be used to cut diamond the hardest material on earth. Lasers are used in industries to cut metal like knife cuts butter. The most amazing thing is that they all use LIGHT.
How does Light become such formidable force? The answer lies on the properties of light. As i Have mentioned in earlier posting light travels with different wavelengths. From the light you can see to the invisible light (Infrared). These wavelength are directly connected to their energy. The smaller the wavelength the powerful it is. This is to say red light is less powerful than Orange light and orange light is less powerful than green light which is less powerful than blue light. I think you get the picture that when wavelength is getting smaller its energy increases linearly.
one can use this equation that Energy in eV is equal to 1240/wavelength in nanometres. The 1240 figure is from simplification of an equation containing mainly constants Plancks, Speed of light and etcs. This fact is used in your DVD technology since you can write and read using light. if you had a disc player it used red laser, you upgraded to DVD which uses green lasers meaning more information can be written and read by the laser.
Now Blue Ray uses blue lasers which has smaller wavelength compared to the previous technologies and hence can write more information on the same disc and also read it. If Ultra violet laser comes along Blue Ray will be obsolete too just like the VHS.
Next how does Semiconductor laser works? It should be fun and amazing at the same time.....
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