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Laser applications
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There are many scientific, military, medical and commercial laser applications which have been developed since the invention of the laser in the 1958. The coherency, high monochromaticity, and ability to reach extremely high powers are all properties which allow for these specialized applications.

Contents [hide]
1 Scientific
1.1 Spectroscopy
1.2 Lunar laser ranging
1.3 Material processing
1.4 Photochemistry
1.5 Laser cooling
1.6 Nuclear fusion
1.7 Microscopy
2 Military
2.1 Defensive countermeasures
2.2 Targeting
2.2.1 Ranging
2.2.2 Target designator
2.3 Military/police applications
2.3.1 Laser sight
2.3.2 Eye-targeted lasers
3 Medical
4 Industrial and commercial
5 References
6 Images
7 External links


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Scientific

In science, lasers are used in many ways, including:
A wide variety of interferometric techniques
Raman spectroscopy
Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Atmospheric remote sensing
Investigating nonlinear optics phenomena
Holographic techniques employing lasers also contribute to a number of measurement techniques.
Laser (LADAR) technology has application in geology, seismology, remote sensing and atmospheric physics.
Lasers have been used aboard spacecraft such as in the Cassini-Huygens mission.
In astronomy, lasers have been used to create artificial laser guide stars, used as reference objects for adaptive optics telescopes.

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Spectroscopy

Most types of laser are an inherently pure source of light; they emit near-monochromatic light with a very well defined range of wavelengths. By careful design of the laser components, the purity of the laser light (measured as the "linewidth") can be improved more than the purity of any other light source. This makes the laser a very useful source for spectroscopy. The high intensity of light that can be achieved in a small, well collimated beam can also be used to induce a nonlinear optical effect in a sample, which makes techniques such as Raman spectroscopy possible. Other spectroscopic techniques based on lasers can be used to make extremely sensitive detectors of various molecules, able to measure molecular concentrations in the parts-per-trillion (ppt) level. Due to the high power densities achievable by lasers, beam-induced atomic emission is possible: this technique is termed Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Lasers may also be indirectly used in spectroscopy as a micro-sampling system, a technique termed Laser ablation (LA), which is typically applied to ICP-MS apparatus resulting in the powerful LA-ICP-MS.

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Lunar laser ranging
Main article: Lunar laser ranging experiment

When the Apollo astronauts visited the moon, they planted retroreflector arrays to make possible the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment. Laser beams are focused through large telescopes on Earth aimed toward the arrays, and the time taken for the beam to be reflected back to Earth measured to determine the distance between the Earth and Moon with high precision.

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Material processing

Laser cutting, laser welding, laser brazing, laser bending, laser engraving or marking, laser cleaning, etc.

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Photochemistry

Some laser systems, through the process of modelocking, can produce extremely brief pulses of light - as short as picoseconds or femtoseconds (10-12 - 10-15 seconds). Such pulses can be used to initiate and analyse chemical reactions, a technique known as photochemistry. The short pulses can be used to probe the process of the reaction at a very high temporal resolution, allowing the detection of short-lived intermediate molecules. This method is particularly useful in biochemistry, where it is used to analyse details of protein folding and function.

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Laser cooling

A technique that has had recent success is laser cooling. This involves atom trapping, a method where a number of atoms are confined in a specially shaped arrangement of electric and magnetic fields. Shining particular wavelengths of laser light at the ions or atoms slows them down, thus cooling them. As this process is continued, they all are slowed and have the same energy level, forming an unusual arrangement of matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate.

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Nuclear fusion

Some of the world's most powerful and complex arrangements of multiple lasers and optical amplifiers are used to produce extremely high intensity pulses of light of extremely short duration. These pulses are arranged such that they impact pellets of tritium-deuterium simultaneously from all directions, hoping that the squeezing effect of the impacts will induce atomic fusion in the pellets. This technique, known as "inertial confinement fusion", so far has not been able to achieve "breakeven", that is, so far the fusion reaction generates less power than is used to power the lasers, but research continues.

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Microscopy

Confocal laser scanning microscopy and Two-photon excitation microscopy make use of lasers to obtain blur-free images of thick specimens at various depths.

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Military

Military uses of lasers include applications such as target designation and ranging, defensive countermeasures, communications and directed energy weapons.

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Defensive countermeasures

Defensive countermeasure applications can range from compact, low power infrared countermeasures to high power, airborne laser systems. IR countermeasure systems use lasers to confuse the seeker heads on heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles. High power boost-phase intercept laser systems use a complex system of lasers to find, track and destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles. In this type of system a chemical laser, one in which the laser operation is powered by an energetic chemical reaction, is used as the main weapon beam (see Airborne Laser). The Mobile Tactical High-Energy Laser (MTHEL) is another defensive laser system under development; this is envisioned as a field-deployable weapon system able to track incoming artillery projectiles and cruise missiles by radar and destroy them with a powerful deuterium fluoride laser.

Another example of direct use of a laser as a defensive weapon was researched for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, nicknamed "Star Wars"), and its successor programs. This project would use ground-based or space-based laser systems to destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The practical problems of using and aiming these systems were many; particularly the problem of destroying ICBMs at the most opportune moment, the boost phase just after launch. This would involve directing a laser through a large distance in the atmosphere, which, due to optical scattering and refraction, would bend and distort the laser beam, complicating the aiming of the laser and reducing its efficiency.

Another idea to come from the SDI project was the nuclear-pumped X-ray laser. This was essentially an orbiting atomic bomb, surrounded by laser media in the form of glass rods; when the bomb exploded, the rods would be bombarded with highly-energetic gamma-ray photons, causing spontaneous and stimulated emission of X-ray photons in the atoms making up the rods. This would lead to optical amplification of the X-ray photons, producing an X-ray laser beam that would be minimally affected by atmospheric distortion and capable of destroying ICBMs in flight. The X-ray laser would be a strictly one-shot device, destroying itself on activation. Some initial tests of this concept were performed with underground nuclear testing; however, the results were not encouraging. Research into this approach to missile defense was discontinued after the SDI program was cancelled.

The United States Air Force has experimented with using lasers combined with high-altitude airships as a potential means for a missile defense shield but also as a means to destroy enemy spacecraft or satellites in low-earth orbit. For more information, see Evolutionary Air and Space Global Laser Engagement. According to a 2005 report issued by the Pentagon, China is developing a laser that could blind low Earth orbit satellites.[1]

In the most recent edition of Popular Science (the April 2008 issue), there is an article showcasing a new combat laser, the Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser Beam, which will be carried in a large aircraft (it is shown carried in a C-130) and fired at large targets (vehicles or buildings.) It is currently being tested at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The laser itself is a chemical laser, and weighs 40,000 pounds. The range is reported to be 5 miles, and it can rapidly strike targets (it uses rapid-fire rather than a continuous beam to minimize the risk of friendly fire.) However, the prototype cost $200 million, making it doubtful that this will be put to widespread use. Barring the cost, it is expected to be in battle within five years. There is also talk of development of smaller versions to fit in smaller vehicles.