What Is a Laser and How Does It Work?

Did You Know the Word Laser Is Actually an Acronym?

Key Takeaways on Lasers

• Laser systems use both a gain medium and a pumping mechanism to raise the energy level of a laser’s atoms to an excited state. These atoms are then released as light and heat.
• Lasers can be categorized based on their gain medium, such as gas lasers, solid-state lasers, fiber lasers, and semiconductor lasers, with each having specific applications depending on its characteristics.
• Lasers have been used by diverse fields for a range of tasks, including welding, cutting, drilling, and cleaning in industrial and manufacturing spaces; surgery in the medical field; data storage in the electronics sector; guidance systems in military and transportation applications; and marking, engraving, etching and more for manufacturing, product branding, and personalization.

L.A.S.E.R. stands for “Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.”

Lasers are one of mankind’s most important scientific developments and play a major role in our everyday lives. Lasers are used in almost any industry we can imagine including electronics, modern medicine, defense and more. In manufacturing, lasers are used every day for welding, cutting, drilling, cleaning, measuring, sensing, etching, marking, engraving and many more applications. The laser has become one of our most powerful manufacturing tools!

To create a laser, we raise the energy level of atoms to an excited state, thereby enabling them to release light when falling back to their original energy or ground state. In this example we use two main ingredients to accomplish this; a gain medium and a pumping mechanism.

Common Gain Mediums Used in Manufacturing Process Lasers

Common Pumping Sources Used in Manufacturing Process Lasers

For example, we illustrate the basic principle behind a lamp pumped laser, also referred to as a flash lamp laser.

The pumping mechanism (lamp) excites the atoms in the gain medium (YAG crystal) to a higher state of energy.

When the atoms fall back to their original level or ground state, they release light. The release of this light stimulates other excited atoms to release twice as much light. This is referred to as spontaneous emission. When more atoms are at a high state of excitation than low, this is referred to as population inversion.

This cavity is gold-plated for high reflectivity and as the amount of light or photons generated increases, it is directed in a precise path using highly and partially reflective mirrors. The partially reflective mirror contains an aperture which allows the light to escape in a uniform path, thus becoming a laser!

Lasers Also Share a Few Other Attributes

1. Lasers are coherent. This means the peaks and troughs of the light waves are in alignment. A laser beam also travels in a uniform, single direction.
2. Lasers are typically monochromatic. This means that only 1 wavelength is emitted. In the example above, the pumping mechanism and gain medium allowed us to produce light at 1064nm. This wavelength of light is ideal for many of the laser processes used in manufacturing.

The image below shows an example of non-coherent light. A flashlight utilizing a bulb emits light waves that are multi-directional and vary in wavelength.

The next image shows an example of coherent light. A red laser pointer emits light waves that are unidirectional and uniform in wavelength. Note that the peaks and troughs are in alignment.

Diverse Laser Applications

Since their creation, lasers have been used by many fields in varied ways, with new applications being developed as technology advances. Some common applications include:

• Laser welding – Lasers are capable of effectively welding materials together using concentrated heat, providing narrow, deep welds that are often beneficial for fields like aeronautics and automotive.
• Laser cutting – Many industrial operations use lasers to precisely cut materials, leaving a clean edge and a finished look. Hobbyists have also used laser cutting at times while making crafts and other items.
• Laser drilling – Manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive, and power generation spaces, among others, have benefitted from laser drilling to create “percussion drilled” holes with tight tolerances.
• Laser cleaning – Also known as laser blasting or ablation, this method removes material from either a solid or liquid surface by using the laser beam to irradiate it. Applications include removing paints and coatings, eliminating rust and grease, removing mold, and more.
• Laser surgery – In recent decades, lasers have been used more frequently in the medical space, with some surgical applications being conducted, notably the LASIK procedure. Other prominent uses include those in the dermatological space for removing skin lesions and other issues.
• Data storage – CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs use lasers to store and retrieve data, giving consumers access to extensive amounts of information on compact storage devices.
• Guidance systems – Ships, aircraft, missiles, satellites, rockets, and other vehicles and moving objects often need precise positioning to successfully complete their tasks and traverse vast distances, and laser guidance systems help to facilitate that.

Of course, some of the most prominent uses of lasers in the industrial and manufacturing spaces include laser marking, engraving, and etching.

• Laser marking – In this process, a laser beam interacts with a material’s surface and slightly alters its appearance without harming the material itself. High contrast marks are created that can be beneficial for branding, informational, and personalization purposes.
• Laser engraving – This process is similar to laser engraving except that the laser beam actually removes a small portion of the material being engraved, leaving behind a precise cavity while vaporizing the remainder. The engraving is visible to the eye, permanent, and useful in the same ways as marking.
• Laser etching – This process is actually a subset of laser engraving, and it involves melting a material rather than vaporizing it away. What is created is then a raised mark rather than a cavity.

At TYKMA Electrox, our CO₂ and MOPA fiber laser systems are adept at these forms of marking and engraving, along with other iterations like color laser marking, deep laser engraving, laser ablation, and more. Visit our product line to see the many quality laser marking systems we can supply to your operations.

Achieve Precise Laser Marking with TYKMA Electrox Systems

To learn more about how lasers work or how we utilize laser technology in our marking, etching and engraving machines, contact us today!

About the Author

Gerald Fry

Marketing Manager

I am a dedicated full-stack marketer and manager at TYKMA Electrox with 13 years of hands-on experience in various marketing disciplines within the industrial laser manufacturing sector. I excel in driving brand awareness and engagement through my proficiency in photography, video production, graphic design, social… Read Full Bio →