Today’s era is the era of Laser and its related technology. Nowadays a lot of research work is being carried out in this and its allied field. Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser is an optical device that emits coherent light (electromagnetic radiation).

Uses and Applications of Laser light

One of the first applications of Laser light was the bar code scanner, used in supermarkets. Then came the Laserdisc player, which was the first successful consumer product involving the Laser. Lasers have become a multi-billion dollar industry in recent times. The largest application of Lasers is in their use as optical storage devices such as compact discs and DVD players. The other application of Laser is in fiber-optic communications.

In manufacturing, Lasers are used extensively. They are used for cutting, bending and welding other materials and metals. They are also used for inscribing visible patterns or letters on other materials.

In the field of science, Lasers are used for many different applications. The most common use of Lasers is in Laser spectroscopy. It generates very short pulses of light, due to the fact that Laser has a well defined wavelength. Lasers are also used in military for the purpose of range finding, target designation and illumination. They are also used as directed-energy weapons.

The other uses of Laser include

• Laser lighting displays: This is basically for Laser light shows
• Laser skin treatments: This includes Hair removal, acne treatment and cellulite reduction.
• Product development: They are used extensively in the use of Laser printers, holograms, barcode scanners, thermometers and Laser printers and CDs.
• Research: Laser scattering, Laser interferometer, light detection and ranging. Also spectroscopy and Laser annealing.
• Defense: They are used extensively for military purposes like missile defense, alternative to Radar and marking targets.
• Industry: They are used in industry for variety of purposes. For example in cutting, material heat treatment and marking parts. Lasers find immense applications in industry. A high powered Laser can cut steel sheets more than one cm thick with ease. This high powered Laser is used for several material processing applications. They are used to weld dissimilar metals.
• Medical applications: Nitrogen Laser has been developed by scientists. This Laser can treat tuberculosis. With the nitrogen Laser treatment, a lot of patients showed complete recovery in few months time. Laser can also be used in medical diagnosis.

The most interesting use of Lasers is in medicine. They are used in medicine for the purposes of surgery, and diagnostics. They are used extensively to correct vision defects among people.