| , they can emit a single color of light | Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories, based on theoretical work by Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow |
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| In 2017, researchers at TU Delft demonstrated an AC Josephson junction microwave laser | Lasers can also have high temporal coherence, which allows them to emit light with a very narrow spectrum, i |
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.
2| Among their many applications, lasers are used in optical disk drives, laser printers, and barcode scanners; DNA sequencing instruments, fiber-optic and free-space optical communication; laser surgery and skin treatments; cutting and welding materials; military and law enforcement devices for marking targets and measuring range and speed; and laser lighting displays in entertainment | Spatial coherence allows a laser to be focused to a tight spot, enabling applications such as laser cutting and lithography |
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| Temporal coherence can be used to produce pulses of light as short as a femtosecond | Laser types with distinct laser lines are shown above the wavelength bar, while below are shown lasers that can emit in a wavelength range |