Is there such a thing as in-phase and coherent white light?

In summary, generating coherent white light, which is similar to laser light but emits all visible wavelengths at equal intensities, is possible through supercontinuum generation technology. This involves using high speed pulsed lasers and creating a train of delta function pulses that repeat periodically, resulting in interference between beams of different path lengths. However, this technology is not currently available.
  • #1
Green Xenon [Radium]
Hi:

Is it possible to generate coherent white light? This is sort of like
laser light except it gives out all wavelengths of visible light at
equal intensities at the same time. Is this possible?Thanks,

Radium
 
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  • #2
Yes- a white-light point source will give perfectly spatially coherent light.
 
  • #3
On Mar 5, 7:40=A0pm, "Green Xenon [Radium]" <gluceg...@excite.com>
wrote:
> Hi:
>
> Is it possible to generate coherent white light? This is sort of like
> laser light except it gives out all wavelengths of visible light at
> equal intensities at the same time. Is this possible?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Radium


It is possible, in principle, in a sense. There are high speed pulsed
lasers available now, such as the Ti:sapphire laser. This laser
generates very short pulses of light, about 10E-15 seconds long or
less, and thus has a spectral width of about 10E15 Hz. The output
from these lasers is a very brief burst of EM radiation, just a few
cycles long, that repeats at about 80 MHz. If a similar device could
be built that would emit something closer to a train of delta
functions, then the emitted spectrum could approximate white light.
If such an output was analyzed with a spectrometer, one would find
many many narrow band peaks spaced at 1/(the pulse repetition rate).
The number of these peaks would be inversely proportional to the width
of the individual delta function pulses.

This beam could be considered coherent since the EM waveform repeats
periodically. If the repetition rate was 300 mHz, then the
fundamental waveform would repeat every meter or so, thus you could
get interference between beams that differed in path length by n
meters, where n is any integer.

I know of no devices that can do quite this at present.

Rich L.
 
  • #4
Green Xenon [Radium] wrote:
> Hi:
>
> Is it possible to generate coherent white light? This is sort of like
> laser light except it gives out all wavelengths of visible light at
> equal intensities at the same time. Is this possible?


Since the eye only perceives red, green and blue that's all you need.
So, yes - just mix the light from three lasers.

FFF
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #5
On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 01:40:24 +0000 (UTC), "Green Xenon [Radium]"
<glucegen1@excite.com> wrote:

>Hi:
>
>Is it possible to generate coherent white light? This is sort of like
>laser light except it gives out all wavelengths of visible light at
>equal intensities at the same time. Is this possible?
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>Radium

No. Assume the contrary. Then every frequency in each zero bandwidth
bin in the continuum would be "in phase", but only with itself, and
the zero bandwidth would equate to zero energy.
It doesn't seem such light would have any of the qualities expected of
coherent light.
Just an amateur opinion.
John Polasek
 
  • #6
Look up "Supercontinuum Generation" in Google.
I think that's what your looking for ie. "a white laser".
 

FAQ: Is there such a thing as in-phase and coherent white light?

1. What is in-phase and coherent white light?

In-phase and coherent white light refers to light waves that are synchronized in phase and have a consistent wavelength and direction of oscillation. This results in a uniform and steady white light that is visually pleasing to the human eye.

2. How is in-phase and coherent white light created?

In-phase and coherent white light is created when multiple light waves of different wavelengths and phases are combined in a way that results in a net zero phase difference and a consistent direction of oscillation. This can be achieved through the use of special filters or laser technology.

3. What are the properties of in-phase and coherent white light?

In-phase and coherent white light has several distinct properties, including a consistent and uniform wavelength, a high degree of polarization, and the ability to produce interference patterns. It also has a high degree of directionality, meaning it can be focused and directed with precision.

4. What are the applications of in-phase and coherent white light?

In-phase and coherent white light has a wide range of applications in fields such as optics, spectroscopy, and telecommunications. It is commonly used in lasers, holography, and interferometry, and has also been used in medical imaging and scientific research.

5. Is in-phase and coherent white light the same as natural white light?

No, in-phase and coherent white light is not the same as natural white light. Natural white light is a combination of all the visible wavelengths of light, while in-phase and coherent white light is a specific type of light that is created through a controlled combination of light waves. However, in-phase and coherent white light can mimic the appearance of natural white light to the human eye.

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