Niles said:Homework Statement
Hi all.
When talking about sound, we tak about the fundamental frequency, the first harmonic, second, third etc.
Does this also work for lasers, i.e. for light? So if I have a laser at 500 nm, then the third harmonic is 3 times the frequency that corresponds to 500 nm?
Niles.
A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. It produces a narrow, intense beam of light that is coherent (all waves are in phase with each other) and monochromatic (of a single color or wavelength).
Lasers work by using a source of energy (such as electricity or light) to excite atoms or molecules in a gain medium. This causes the atoms or molecules to emit photons (individual packets of light) that are all in phase with each other. The photons bounce back and forth between two mirrors, amplifying the light each time, until a coherent beam of light is emitted through one of the mirrors.
There are many different types of lasers, including gas lasers (such as helium-neon and carbon dioxide lasers), solid-state lasers (such as ruby and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet lasers), and semiconductor lasers (such as diode lasers). Each type of laser has its own unique properties and applications.
Frequency is a measure of how many waves pass a given point in a certain amount of time. In the context of lasers, frequency is used to describe the color (or wavelength) of the emitted light. Different frequencies of light have different properties and can be used for different purposes.
Exploring light harmonics is important because it allows us to better understand the behavior of light and how it can be manipulated for various applications. By studying the frequencies of light and how they interact with matter, we can develop new technologies and improve existing ones, such as in medicine, telecommunications, and manufacturing.