Laser Technology

1. Laser Technology By: Madeline, Manpreet, Chetan, Daniel, Sabrina

2. What is Laser Technology? • Lasers are a device that produce an intense beam of a specific wavelength/colour

3. Where did this idea come from? • 1917- Einstein established the theoretical foundations for the laser. • Proposed that electrons can gain energy, move up energy levels, release energy, and the electrons will return to their ground state • Einstein proposed the process of “stimulated emission of light • This theory states that when enough atoms gain enough energy, the beam of light that is created will be highly concentrated • Thus, this beam of light will be much brighter and more powerful

4. Classification of Lasers • Lasers are divided into four distinctive classes • These are determined by the laser beams power or the energy emitted from the beam

5. Classification of Lasers Class One Class Two • Cannot produce harmful radiation levels therefore it is safe • Examples : • Laser lights • Lasers in printer or disc players • Emit radiation in the visible area of the spectrum • Over a long period of time, the radiation becomes harmful • Examples : • Laser pointers

6. Classification of Lasers Class Three Class Four • There are two sub-classes to this class • Class 3A • Does not produce injury if exposed momentarily • Harmful only with the use of collecting optics • Example : • microscopes • Class 3B • Can cause serious eye damage if viewed directly or with specular reflections • Example : • Anything above 5 milliwatts • Extremely dangerous lasers and usually require special safe guards • Starts fires and damages skin • Example : • Hair removal lasers

7. Quantum Theory & Lasers • For an electron to move to a higher energy level, it requires a photon of specific energy to excite it. • After the electron releases a photon with the same energy, it returns to its original energy level or “ground state”.

8. Quantum Theory & Lasers • Some of the released photons collide with atoms in the ruby rod, a component of the laser, which causes additional photons to be released. • More photons are also released when photons reflect from the mirrors at the end of the ruby rod and collide with atoms, a process known as amplification of photons.

9. Quantum Theory & Lasers • The beam of a laser is formed when some photons travel along the axis of the ruby rod and exit through the 95% reflective mirror. • These photons all travel in parallel, continuous waves, and have the same wavelength.

10. Lasers in the World • Lasers are found in many areas around us in our everyday lives. One of the most common lasers are found in DVD and CD players, where lasers are used to read the content in the DVDs or CDs. Lasers also help in watching specific scenes in movies or listening to specific songs with much more ease.

11. Lasers in the World • Usually when a product is for sale in a store, the customer notices the barcode somewhere on it. When the product is taken to the cash register, it is scanned with the help of a laser in order to know the price of the product itself. The same technique can be used at places like libraries (scanning books).

12. Lasers in the World • Medicine is also a field where many lasers are used. The first example is laser surgery, where a laser is used to cut tissue instead of a scalpel. Laser hair removal is a technique where lasers are used to remove hair from specific parts of the body

13. Lasers in the World • Laser printers also use lasers, where a laser beam is used to scan a specific image and then transfer this data to the ink toners that go on to print the image onto paper. Laser printers are found everywhere from offices and schools to libraries and homes.

14. Lasers in the World • In industrial work, lasers are used in activities such as welding (joining) or cutting different materials.