2019-09-02 Bloomberg Businessweek

42

ByE.TammyKim

PhotographbyDanielShea

Laser

Lasersarebothpotentand

mundane,high-energybeams

thatcanbeusedtooperate

oneyes,precision-cutmetal

forappliances,andscan

barcodesatthecorner

store.“Lightamplification

bystimulatedemissionof

radiation”neatlydescribes

howthetechnologyworks:

Energyis appliedtoa

medium—suchasa crystal

wafer,liquidsolution,or

gas—whoseparticlesbecome

stimulatedandemitlight.

Mirrorscaptureandamplify

thatlightintoanintensebeam.

A dime-sizeYAGcrystalis

mountedona finger-shaped

metaldevicethatkeeps

thecrystalcool.Energyis

pumpedthroughthecrystal

tocreatea powerfullaser.

May contain

or require

Clustersofdiodelasersprovide

energytotheYAGcrystal.

Theseapplyelectricalcurrent

towafersofgalliumarsenide

wrappedin goldwire.

PRODUCT COURTESY TRUMPF LASERS

Thereareasmanytypesoflasers

asthereareusesforthem.TheYAG

lasershownhere—acrystalofyttrium

aluminumgarnet,sprinkledwith

ytterbium(neodymiumis alsooften

used)—emitsinfraredlight,whose

wavelengthis wellsuitedtowelding.

1

H

Hydrogen

2

He

Helium

10

Ne

Neon

6

C

Carbon

7

N

Nitrogen

8

O

Oxygen

9

F

Fluorine

17

Cl

Chlorine

18

Ar

Argon

13

Al

Aluminum

14

Si

Silicon

70

Yb

Ytterbium

60

Nd

Neodymium

79

Au

Gold

33

As

Arsenic

36

Kr

Krypton

31

Ga

Gallium

26

Fe

Iron

29

Cu

Copper

54

Xe

Xenon

39

Y

Yttrium