INTRODUCTION TO LASERS

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
SCARSDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Many of the pictures for

this LASER presentation came
from www.howstuffworks.com.

LASER PRESENTA

LASER
Originally LASER was an acronym for Light
Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of
Radiation.
Now laser is a word used to identify this type
of equipment or the light it produces.

LASER PRESENTA

The Atom

Different electron orbits represent different energy levels.

LASER PRESENTA

The Electron

Applying energy to an electron causes it to jump

to a higher orbit.
LASER PRESENTA

The Photon

When the electron drops back to its original orbit it

releases a particle called a photon. Light is made up
of photons.
LASER PRESENTA

Wavelength of Light

Light moves in waves that are similar

to ripples in water.

Light is an example of electromagnetic radiation: It doesnt

require a medium to pass through

LASER PRESENTA

Wavelength of Light
1 CYCLE

Wavelength (): The distance the wave travels

in one cycle.
Frequency (f): The number of times a cycle
repeats in one second (Hertz,
formerley cycles/second).

c
f

LASER PRESENTA

Wavelength of Light

ENERGY
~ 400 nanometers

HERTZ
H
I
G
H
E
R
F
R
E
Q
U
E
N
C
Y

L
E
S
S
E
N
E
R
G
Y

~ 700 nanometers

LASER PRESENTA

1 NANOMETER IS ONE BILLIONTH OF A METER

A human hair is about 80,000

nanometers in diameter.

Thats about 115 times the

wavelength () of red light.

LASER PRESENTA

10

Light Bulb
Light is not focused
Light is made up of many colors (wavelengths)
Light is not coherent

LASER PRESENTA

11

White Light
Light From A
Light Bulb
All colors
(wavelengths).
More longer
wavelengths.
Light is not
coherent.
Light is not
focused.

LASER PRESENTA

12

Laser Light
Light is very focused
Light is made up of one color (wavelength)
Light is coherent

LASER PRESENTA

13

Laser Light
Light From A
Laser
One color
(wavelength).
Light is
coherent.
Light is focused.

LASER PRESENTA

14

Theodore Maiman
First Ruby Laser
1960

LASER PRESENTA

15

MIRROR

How a Laser Works

MANY PHOTONS ARE REFLECTED
BACK AND FORTH BY THE MIRRORS
AT EACH END OF THE ROD.
MIRROR
SLIT

PHOTONS FROM EXTERNAL

SOURCE STRIKE ATOMS
ATOMS RELEASE MORE PHOTONS
IN THE ROD.
(STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION)
WHICH STRIKE OTHER ATOMS CONTINUING
PHOTONS
THE PROCESS (AMPLIFICATION).
ATOM

COHERENT, FOCUSED PHOTONS

LEAVE THE ROD THROUGH A SLIT
IN THE MIRROR.

LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY THE STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION

LASER PRESENTA

16

Ruby Laser

LASER PRESENTA

17

Types of Lasers
Based on the Material Used in the Laser

Classes of Lasers
Based on the Biological Damage the Laser
Can Cause

LASER PRESENTA

18

Typical Lasers and Their Emission Wavelengths

Laser Type
Argon fluoride (UV)
Krypton fluoride (UV)
Nitrogen (UV)
Argon (blue)
Argon (green)
Helium neon (green)
Helium neon (red)
Rhodamine 6G dye (tunable)
Ruby (CrAlO3) (red)
Nd:Yag (NIR)
Carbon dioxide (FIR)

Wavelength (nm)
193
248
337
488
514
543
633
570 - 650
694
1064
10600

LASER PRESENTA

19

Optical Damage Threshold Test

NASA Research Center

The Optical Damage Threshold test station at NASA Langley

Research Center has three lasers: a high-energy pulsed ND:Yag laser,
a Ti:sapphire laser and an alignment HeNe laser.

LASER PRESENTA

20

Classes of Lasers
Based on the Biological Damage the Laser Can
Cause
Class I: Lasers that dont produce any harmful
radiation.
Class II: Lasers that are harmful if viewed for
long periods of time. (The assumption is
that people wouldnt let this happen.)
Class III: Lasers that are dangerous for short
exposure. (Many laser pointers are class
III lasers!)
Class IV: Lasers that can blind or burn after a very
brief exposure. These can only be used
under very controlled conditions.
LASER PRESENTA

21

LASER WEAPONS
Do you expect me to talk Goldfinger?
No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.

LASER PRESENTA

22

Laser Gun Sights

LASER PRESENTA

23

Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System

MILES (2000)
Laser Tag for Soldiers

LASER PRESENTA

24

Laser Targeting System

Aircraft Mounted

LASER PRESENTA

25

Laser Guided Bomb

(Smart Bomb)
Control surfaces

Guidance system
Optical sensor

LASER PRESENTA

26

Laser Targeting

2. Laser guided
weapon tracks
laser spot on
target.

1. Laser targeting
system paints
target.

LASER PRESENTA

27

Laser Targeting System

Ground Based

LASER PRESENTA

28

Laser Targeting Countermeasures

AN/VVR-1 Laser Warning Receiver System

System
detects
the targeting
laser.
Countermeasures
include smoke,
brighter laser
beam,
maneuvering,
etc.
LASER PRESENTA

29

Laser Guided Missile

Hellfire laser guided missiles mounted on a
US Army Apache helicopter gunship.

Newer variation (Hellfire II) replaces laser guidance

with radar guidance to penetrate smoke and cloud cover.
LASER PRESENTA

30

ABL
Airborne Laser
Antimissile Weapon
United States Air Force

LASER PRESENTA

31

ABL
Nose Turret
CO2 Targeting Laser

LASER PRESENTA

32

LASERS IN
MANUFACTURING

Punch Press
Typical Stamped Parts

Punch Press Problems

Dangerous to operate.
Required long runs
to be profitable.
LASER PRESENTA

34

Laser Cutter

LASER PRESENTA

35

Computer Control
of Laser Cutter Equipment
No human contact
with the part
during operation.
Computer program
can be loaded
quickly. Shorter
runs are now
profitable.

LASER PRESENTA

36

Laser Welding
Welded Parts

LASER PRESENTA

37

Laser Welding
Welded car door panel made from three types of steel.

LASER PRESENTA

38

Laser Stereolithography
(SLA)

LASER PRESENTA

39

Part Produced by

SLA

LASER PRESENTA

40

LASERS IN MEDICINE

LASER PRESENTA

41

Laser Eye Surgery

LAser in SItu Keratomileusis (Lasik)
2. Laser removes tissue
from remaining cornea
to change its shape.

1. Tiny flap
of outer
cornea folded
back.
3. Flap of outer
cornea then
reattached.

LASER PRESENTA

42

Laser Tattoo Removal

(Doesnt always work!)

The laser beam breaks up the pigments in the tattoo

into small particles. Then the bodys immune system
attacks and destroys them.
LASER PRESENTA

43

Laser Dentistry

Water jet
Laser

Major advantage is no drilling sound.

Cant be used on existing metal fillings.
LASER PRESENTA

44

LASER TESTING AND

MEASURING

LASER PRESENTA

45

Laser Bar Code Scanning

Universal Product Code (UPC) Label

LASER PRESENTA

46

Barcode on a UPS Label

LASER PRESENTA

47

Barcode Scanner

LASER PRESENTA

48

Railroad Car Sorting

Using Barcode Scanning

Labels were often too dirty for the

scanners to read.
LASER PRESENTA

49

Laser Surface Roughness Tester

LASER PRESENTA

50

Laser Level

LASER PRESENTA

51

Laser Speed Measurement

New York State Police

LASER PRESENTA

52

Telescope Calibration
Lick Observatory

The adaptive optics system at

the Shane 3 meter telescope
utilizes a 20-watt sodium laser
to put a false star in the sky.
The system uses the star to
compensate for atmospheric
disturbances, creating
sharper, clearer images of the
objects observed.

LASER PRESENTA

53

LASER
COMMUNICATION

LASER PRESENTA

54

Laser Printer

Corona Wire Discharge

Lamp

LASER PRESENTA

55

Laser Disk
Pit

Land

Beam doesnt reflect:

logical 0.

LASER PRESENTA

Beam reflects:
logical 1.

56

Laser Disk Drive

LASER PRESENTA

57

MODULATION
Superimposing a weak signal
on a strong one

Audio

MODULATED LASER BEAM:

Changes in the beam represent
information in the audio signal.

Laser Carrier
MODULATOR: Combines audio
signal and laser beam.

DEMODULATOR: Removes
audio signal from the modulated
laser beam.

LASER PRESENTA

58

FIBER OPTICS
Transparent Pipe for Light to Travel Through
Advantages:
Very high capacity.
Cant be tapped into.
Not affected by electromagnetic (EM) interference.
Allows light to travel around corners.

Disadvantages:
Expensive.
Can be difficult to install.
LASER PRESENTA

59

Fiber Optics
Center fiber optic cable has greater capacity
than any of these bundles of cable.

LASER PRESENTA

60