Laser
hideA 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.
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News tagged with laser
Researchers using excimer laser angioplasty to blast arterial blockages in heart and kidneys
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using an excimer laser to widen narrowed or obstructed blood vessels in hard-to-reach areas of heart and kidney arteries may be feasible and safe, according to a study by a team of researchers from the Virginia ...
Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source
Nov 08, 2009 |
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It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan's space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves.
Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Most biopsies following mammograms reveal benign abnormalities, not cancer. But women may not have to endure the medical costs, stress and potential complications that accompany such invasive biopsies forever. ...
Measuring distances in microseconds
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Standard laser devices are fast enough for measuring the size of a room, but they need to be faster for outdoor mobile applications. Researchers have brought these scanners up to speed -- ...
Success in 'space elevator' competition (Update 3)
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A robot powered by a ground-based laser beam climbed a long cable dangling from a helicopter on Wednesday to qualify for prize money in a $2 million competition to test the potential reality of the ...
Portable 3-D laser technology preserves Texas dinosaur's rare footprint
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 04, 2009 |
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Using portable 3D laser technology, scientists have electronically preserved a rare 110 million-year-old fossilized dinosaur footprint that was previously excavated and built into the wall of a bandstand at a Texas courthouse ...
Laser etching safe alternative for labeling grapefruit
Nov 03, 2009 |
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Laser labeling of fruit and vegetables is a new, patented technology in which a low-energy carbon dioxide laser beam is used to label, or "etch" information on produce, thereby eliminating the need for common ...
Lasers put a shine on metals
Nov 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Polishing metal surfaces is a demanding but monotonous task, and it is difficult to find qualified young specialists. Polishing machines do not represent an adequate alternative because they ...
Powerful laser sheds light on fast ignition and high energy density physics
Nov 02, 2009 |
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A new generation of high-energy (>kJ) petawatt (HEPW) lasers is being constructed worldwide to study high intensity laser matter interactions, including fast ignition. Fast ignition is a laser-based technique ...
Electron self-injection into an evolving plasma bubble
Nov 02, 2009 |
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Particle accelerators are among the largest and most expensive scientific instruments. Thirty years ago, theorists John Dawson and Toshiki Tajima proposed an idea for making them thousands of times smaller: ...
Study reveals a 'missing link' in immune response to disease (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
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The immune system's T cells have the unique responsibilities of being both jury and executioner. They examine other cells for signs of disease, including cancers or infections, and, if such evidence is found, ...
Science Begins at the World's Most Powerful X-ray Laser (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The first experiments are now underway using the world's most powerful X-ray laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source, located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. ...
Researchers use trident laser to accelerate protons to record energies
Nov 02, 2009 |
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An international team of physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory has succeeded in using intense laser light to accelerate protons to energies never before achieved. Using this technique, scientists can ...
A Mars Rover Named 'Curiosity'
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- If you found your grandmother's diary, tattered and dust covered, up in the attic, would you read it? Of course you would. Granny was a pistol! Brush off the dust, open up the little book, ...
Ericsson developing a 'spider' computer (w/ Video)
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Oct 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Ericsson has produced a prototype of a portable computer that projects the screen and keyboard, and a mock-up of a "spider" computer that will be small enough to carry in a pocket.
