How does a laser work?

The basics of how to work a laser

In the following video, we will roughly show you the operating principles and structures of how lasers work.

The term "Laser"

LASER is an acronym and stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation". In simple terms: Light particles (photons) excited with current emit energy in the form of light. This light is bundled into a beam. Thus, the laser beam is formed.

Technical structure of a laser

Laser technology basics

Here is a quick laser know-how, all lasers consist of three components:

An external pump source
The active laser medium
The resonator

The pump source guides external energy to the laser.

The active laser medium is located on the inside of the laser. Depending on the design, the laser medium can consist of a gas mixture (CO2 laser), of a crystal body (YAG laser) or glass fibers (fiber laser). When energy is fed to the laser medium through the pump, it emits energy in the form of radiation.

The active laser medium is located between two mirrors, the "resonator". One of these mirrors is a one-way mirror. The radiation of the active laser medium is amplified in the resonator. At the same time, only a certain radiation can leave the resonator through the one-way mirror. This bundled radiation is the laser radiation.

Properties of a laser beam: monochromatic and high coherence

Laser radiation has three fundamental properties:

Monochromatic. This means that the radiation consists of only one wavelength.
High coherence and thereby phase coincidence.
The waves of the laser are approximately parallel due to the coherence.

Due to these properties, the laser light is used in many areas of modern material processing. The intensity is preserved for a long time due to the coherence and can be bundled even further through lenses. The laser beam impinges on the material surface, is absorbed and as a result, it heats the material. Due to this generation of heat, the material can be removed or completely evaporate. Therefore, it is possible to engrave, to mark or to cut a variety of materials.

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