Lasers: The Technology and Uses of Crafted Light (Science and Technology in Focus) PDF
Preview Lasers: The Technology and Uses of Crafted Light (Science and Technology in Focus)
L A S E R S N E W E D I T I O N SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS L A S E R S N E W E D I T I O N The Technology and Uses of Crafted Light Charlene W. Billings and John Tabak, Ph.D. LASERS: The Technology and Uses of Crafted Light, New Edition Copyright © 2006, 1992 by Charlene W. Billings and Infobase Publishing This is a new edition of LASERS: The New Technology of Light Copyright © 1992 by Charlene W. Billings All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Billings, Charlene W. Lasers: the technology and uses of crafted light / Charlene W. Billings and John Tabak.—New ed. p. cm. — (Science & technology in focus) Includes index. New [rev.] ed. of: Lasers: the new technology of light. c1992. Summary: Explains what lasers are and how they work and examines their various uses. ISBN 0-8160-4784-7 1. Lasers—Juvenile literature. 2. Lasers. I. Tabak, John. II. Title. III. Series. TA1682.B55 2006 621.36’6—dc22 2005033798 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Erika K. Arroyo Cover design by Nora Wertz Illustrations by Richard Garratt Printed in the United States of America MP MSRF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. To James Douglas, who has never given me a piece of bad advice. Yet. C O N T E N T S Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii 1 The Nature of Light 1 The Wave Nature of Light 4 The Particle Nature of Light 11 2 The Nature of Laser Light 17 Monochromatic Light 19 Coherence 20 The Concept of Laser Power and Efficiency 26 3 Creating Laser Light 30 Stimulated Emission 31 The Laser Beam 34 The Ruby Laser 37 4 The Early History of Lasers 42 Who Invented the Laser? 45 A Great Variety of Lasers 50 5 Lasers and Medicine 56 Matching the Laser to the Medical Application 57 Cutting Flesh 61 Eye Surgery 63 Tattoo Removal 68 6 Lasers in Industry 70 Matching the Laser to the Industrial Application 71 Cutting Metal and Drilling Diamonds 75 Cutting Cloth 78 Laser Welding 80 7 Lasers in Communication 83 Bell’s Great Invention 85 Modulating the Laser 88 Fiber Optics 92 8 Reading and Writing with Lasers 96 UPCs 97 CDs and DVDs 101 Laser Printers 105 9 Lasers as Measurement Devices 108 Lasers as Surveying Tools 111 Lasers in Earth Science 114 Lasers in Astronomy 118 10 Holography, Art, and Science in Three Dimensions 123 More on the Nature of Light 124 Creating a Hologram 127 Properties of Holograms 132 11 Illuminating the Invisible 136 Optical Microscopes and Lasers 138 Spectrometers 140 Prefixes 145 Glosary 147 Further Reading 151 World Wide Web Sites 153 Index 15
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