Lasers
Daily activities, from scanning items at a grocery store checkout to playing your favorite CD, require the very precise light lasers provide. This page will contain links to resources that will allow you to explore how laser light differs from regular light, browse a timeline of laser science milestones, and learn about the Nobel Prize winning contributions of the many scientists that made the laser possible.
A laser is an optical amplifier - a device that strengthens light waves. Some lasers have a well-directed, very bright beam with a very specific color; others emphasize different properties, such as extremely short pulses. The key feature is that the amplification makes light that is very well defined and reproducible, unlike ordinary light sources such as the sun or a lamp.
In the fifty years since its discovery, the laser has become an indispensable tool in our daily lives. The laser's many uses stem from its unique properties; for example, the ability to achieve high power while being focused to a pinpoint makes the laser ideal as a precision scalpel in medicine or as a means to slice through thick plates of steel. Other industries reliant on lasers include telecommunications, medical diagnostics, manufacturing, environmental sensing, basic scientific research, space exploration and entertainment.
For more : LaserFest.org.
Lightsources of the world
Light is a key ingredient for large scientific research facilities known as synchrotrons and Free Electron Lasers (FELs). At the heart of one of these giant machines is a particle accelerator which is used to create an incredibly bright light. This light is so intense it can reveal the atomic and molecular detail of the world around us, and is used by scientists the world over for fundamental and applied research into almost every scientific research field imaginable. There are now more than 60 synchrotrons and FELs around the world dedicated to applications in physics, engineering, pharmacology, and new materials, to name but a few. You can browse these pages for information and links to resources that will allow you to explore the remarkable properties of these magnificent machines.
Revealing the world around usThe European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France© ESRFScientists use synchrotron light to study a vast range of subject matter, from new medicines and treatments for disease to innovative engineering and cutting-edge technology.
Whether it is fragments of ancient paintings or unknown virus structures, scientists can study their samples using a machine that is 10,000 times more powerful than a traditional microscope.
Synchrotrons are amongst the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and their pioneering capabilities are helping us to find answers to some of the most challenging problems facing us today.
A spectrum of possibilities
The Electromagnetic Spectrum© ESRF‘Light’ refers to the breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes visible light, as well as light with wavelengths that we cannot see such as: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. These different types of light are used in everyday life, however. For example, airport scanners use X-rays to inspect the contents of your suitcase.
The right kind of light and the right equipment can help us see things in much finer detail than the human eye could possibly make out. This capability holds the key to answering some of the fundamental questions about the world around us, such as: what is our planet made from? What are the processes that sustain life? How can we conquer viruses?
These questions can only be answered at the molecular level, and this is where lightsources come in.
For more: lightsources.org
Revealing the world around usThe European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France© ESRFScientists use synchrotron light to study a vast range of subject matter, from new medicines and treatments for disease to innovative engineering and cutting-edge technology.
Whether it is fragments of ancient paintings or unknown virus structures, scientists can study their samples using a machine that is 10,000 times more powerful than a traditional microscope.
Synchrotrons are amongst the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and their pioneering capabilities are helping us to find answers to some of the most challenging problems facing us today.
A spectrum of possibilities
The Electromagnetic Spectrum© ESRF‘Light’ refers to the breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes visible light, as well as light with wavelengths that we cannot see such as: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. These different types of light are used in everyday life, however. For example, airport scanners use X-rays to inspect the contents of your suitcase.
The right kind of light and the right equipment can help us see things in much finer detail than the human eye could possibly make out. This capability holds the key to answering some of the fundamental questions about the world around us, such as: what is our planet made from? What are the processes that sustain life? How can we conquer viruses?
These questions can only be answered at the molecular level, and this is where lightsources come in.
For more: lightsources.org
light in nature
From sunsets to rainbows, from the blues and greens of the ocean to the remarkable range of colors of plants and animals, our first experiences of light and color are through what we see in the natural world. This page will contain resources and links to images so that you can see for yourself the wonderful range of light and color in the natural world and understand the science behind it.
Rainbows
A rainbow is a beautiful natural phenomena that occurs when drops of rainwater meet sunlight. The multi-color arch is produced by a fundamental process called refraction, or the “bending” of light. In optics, refraction is a phenomenon that often occurs when waves travel from a medium with a given refractive index to a medium with another at an oblique angle.
Sunsets
Perhaps one of the most frequently occurring visual displays of light in nature, sunsets are also a result of refraction. In astronomy, sunset is the point when the trailing edge of the Sun’s sphere disappears below the horizon. The brilliant array of colors that appear in the sky during sunset are created by scattered airborne particles passing through rays of white sunlight traveling through the atmosphere. Because the evening air contains more particles than morning air, sunsets are typically more radiantly colored than sunrises.
Photosynthesis
The process that converts energy in sunlight to chemical energy used by green plants and other organisms is called photosynthesis. Although it is performed differently by different species, the process always begins when energy from light is absorbed by proteins called reaction centers that contain green chlorophyll pigments. A seemingly simple process, photosynthesis is actually quite complex and is the basis by which we grow all of our food and produce important resources such as fossil fuels.
Northern Lights
Also known as the Aurora Borealis, the Northern lights is a natural light display that occurs in the sky in the arctic (northernmost) region on Earth. In fact, auroras be seen all over the world, but occur most frequently in high altitude regions. Caused by the collision of solar wind and magnetospheric charged particles with the high altitude atmosphere, most auroras occur in a band known as the auroral zone.
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day archive also includes some visually stunning instances of light in nature:
Rainbows
A rainbow is a beautiful natural phenomena that occurs when drops of rainwater meet sunlight. The multi-color arch is produced by a fundamental process called refraction, or the “bending” of light. In optics, refraction is a phenomenon that often occurs when waves travel from a medium with a given refractive index to a medium with another at an oblique angle.
Sunsets
Perhaps one of the most frequently occurring visual displays of light in nature, sunsets are also a result of refraction. In astronomy, sunset is the point when the trailing edge of the Sun’s sphere disappears below the horizon. The brilliant array of colors that appear in the sky during sunset are created by scattered airborne particles passing through rays of white sunlight traveling through the atmosphere. Because the evening air contains more particles than morning air, sunsets are typically more radiantly colored than sunrises.
Photosynthesis
The process that converts energy in sunlight to chemical energy used by green plants and other organisms is called photosynthesis. Although it is performed differently by different species, the process always begins when energy from light is absorbed by proteins called reaction centers that contain green chlorophyll pigments. A seemingly simple process, photosynthesis is actually quite complex and is the basis by which we grow all of our food and produce important resources such as fossil fuels.
Northern Lights
Also known as the Aurora Borealis, the Northern lights is a natural light display that occurs in the sky in the arctic (northernmost) region on Earth. In fact, auroras be seen all over the world, but occur most frequently in high altitude regions. Caused by the collision of solar wind and magnetospheric charged particles with the high altitude atmosphere, most auroras occur in a band known as the auroral zone.
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day archive also includes some visually stunning instances of light in nature:
- Iridescent Clouds over Thamserku
- Manhattanhedge: A New York City Sunset
- Aurora over New Zealand
- Time Lapse: Auroras over Norway
art and culture
Paintings and murals in all cultures of the world show how artists have used light and shade and color to illustrate mood and create atmosphere. Modern technological possibilities allow artists to use light in new ways in entertainment and performance, and large scale lighting installations can dramatically highlight the beauty of architecture. This page will provide resources to allow you to see the many different ways in which light impacts on art and culture, and it will also describe how the scientific uses of light provide new insights into the study of our past.
Laser Light Shows
From concerts to theme parks, laser light shows entertain audiences of all ages. The precision and strength of lasers allow for light to illuminate crowds, create designs on infrastructures, and can even be seen in the night sky.
Stained Glass
One of the oldest example of light in art, stained glass dates back to the fourth century. This form of art relies on natural light to illuminate it’s brilliance and great detail. Most commonly, stained glass windows include art depicting biblical stories and can be found in churches and other significant buildings.
Photography and Cinematography
Light is essential in producing photos and film. In photography, lighting can be the difference between an incredible shot and a terrible one. It can also be used to produce photographs in darkrooms, wherein photographers can manipulate light during exposure and use processing chemicals to create a desired effect.
In cinematography, light is necessary to create an image exposure on a frame of film or on a digital target. The art of lighting for cinematography goes far beyond basic exposure, however, into the essence of visual storytelling. Lighting contributes considerably to the emotional response an audience has watching a motion picture.
Theater and Dance
In live performances, effective lighting is so important that it typically warrants a working crew, commonly known as lighting technicians. Stage lighting in performance arts pieces not only allows the audience to see what’s happening on stage, but can also be used to set the tone, direct focus, or alter one’s position in time and space.
Lighting design is a highly technical field and involves manipulating luminaires to find the appropriate intensity, color, direction, focus, and position. In both theater and dance, light plays a tremendous role in developing the plot of performances and evoking emotion within the audience.
Architectural Illumination
With advancements in LED technology, building illumination has become a common form of light art. Displays on buildings and even major landmarks are executed for both celebratory and advertising purposes. These spectacular visuals involve digitized images shown on a building’s surface and may range anywhere from 2D to 4D. Building illumination may also refer to the decorative or functional lighting of any architectural structure. For more information on this, see Light in the Built Environment.
Art Restoration
The semi-controversial process of art restoration and conservation involves using various methods to preserve the artwork for posterity. Because art is a strong link to history and cultures of the past, this process involves following international ethical guidelines so as not to tarnish or destroy any works of art. Modern conservation laboratories use light-based scientific equipment such as microscopes, spectrometers, and x-ray instruments to better understand object and their components. The data collected from such inspections help in deciding the conservation treatments necessary.
Laser Light Shows
From concerts to theme parks, laser light shows entertain audiences of all ages. The precision and strength of lasers allow for light to illuminate crowds, create designs on infrastructures, and can even be seen in the night sky.
Stained Glass
One of the oldest example of light in art, stained glass dates back to the fourth century. This form of art relies on natural light to illuminate it’s brilliance and great detail. Most commonly, stained glass windows include art depicting biblical stories and can be found in churches and other significant buildings.
Photography and Cinematography
Light is essential in producing photos and film. In photography, lighting can be the difference between an incredible shot and a terrible one. It can also be used to produce photographs in darkrooms, wherein photographers can manipulate light during exposure and use processing chemicals to create a desired effect.
In cinematography, light is necessary to create an image exposure on a frame of film or on a digital target. The art of lighting for cinematography goes far beyond basic exposure, however, into the essence of visual storytelling. Lighting contributes considerably to the emotional response an audience has watching a motion picture.
Theater and Dance
In live performances, effective lighting is so important that it typically warrants a working crew, commonly known as lighting technicians. Stage lighting in performance arts pieces not only allows the audience to see what’s happening on stage, but can also be used to set the tone, direct focus, or alter one’s position in time and space.
Lighting design is a highly technical field and involves manipulating luminaires to find the appropriate intensity, color, direction, focus, and position. In both theater and dance, light plays a tremendous role in developing the plot of performances and evoking emotion within the audience.
Architectural Illumination
With advancements in LED technology, building illumination has become a common form of light art. Displays on buildings and even major landmarks are executed for both celebratory and advertising purposes. These spectacular visuals involve digitized images shown on a building’s surface and may range anywhere from 2D to 4D. Building illumination may also refer to the decorative or functional lighting of any architectural structure. For more information on this, see Light in the Built Environment.
Art Restoration
The semi-controversial process of art restoration and conservation involves using various methods to preserve the artwork for posterity. Because art is a strong link to history and cultures of the past, this process involves following international ethical guidelines so as not to tarnish or destroy any works of art. Modern conservation laboratories use light-based scientific equipment such as microscopes, spectrometers, and x-ray instruments to better understand object and their components. The data collected from such inspections help in deciding the conservation treatments necessary.
light in life
Through photosynthesis, light is at the origin of all life. Photonic technologies provide new tools for doctors and surgeons, new developments in optometry and vision science improve quality of life, and light-based technologies are used every day in medical diagnostics in ways that we are often unaware of. This page will contain links to resources that will allow you to understand how light science and light technologies impact on medicine, vision and life sciences in general.
MEDICINE
In light technology continue to revolutionize the medical industry. Medical imaging, surgical procedures, and even diagnoses rely upon the use of light.
Medical imaging is the process of creating visual representations of the interior of a body for further medical analysis. Such imaging is generally used in medical fields such as neuroscience, cardiology, psychiatry, and psychology, amongst others. Common applications include CT (computed tomography) scans, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasounds, and X-rays (a form of radiography).
With the invention of the laser just over 50 years ago, the role of light in medical procedures has grown immensely. Lasers are especially crucial in dermatology (skin), ophthalmology (eyes), and dentistry due to their precision and high power density. In fact, lasers are now widely used for common procedures such as tumor, tattoo, hair, and birthmark removal. Eye surgery and other surgical procedures now also use the power of lasers rather than invasive methods of the past.
More recently, light applications - specifically lasers - have been used in medical diagnosis due to their non-invasive properties. Routine diagnostics such as tissue oxygenation, early detection of tumors by fluorescence, and early detection of dental cavities are all performed by laser-based medical apparatus.
LIFE SCIENCES
is crucial in exploring the fundamentals of life and our surrounding environment. The overarching fields of physical and natural sciences rely on photonics technology to explore and better understand our world.
Physical science includes physics, astronomy, chemistry, and earth science, and has led to our understanding of far-reaching concepts such as matter, gravity, origins of the Universe, molecular structure, and meteorology. Natural sciences, on the other hand, explore nature’s phenomena and how the Universe works. Branches of natural science include biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and earth sciences. Biology especially depends on light sciences to further research concepts such as molecular biology.
Across the board, instruments developed through light technology are used frequently in life sciences. Found both in both research labs and classrooms, microscopes are used for viewing objects too small to be seen by the naked eye. On the other end of the spectrum,telescopes are instruments that help us to see distant objects in space in order to view and understand the Universe. Technology such as high resolution cameras, laser microdissection, and molecular probe development all aid in the understanding of our natural environment.
VISION
It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul; however, it is optics and photonics that play a major role in studying the eye. Optics and vision go together and optical and photonics technologies are used to examine, correct, and test normal and abnormal vision. These include the whole gamut from simple eyeglasses all the way to laser correction, photodynamic therapies, low vision aids and retinal implants to enable the blind to see. Optics and photonics has enabled the development of sophisticated devices such as optical coherence tomography, photorefraction, LASIK techniques, etc.
There is also a great need for mobile technologies – that is using inexpensive smartphone technologies and building inexpensive, lightweight optics/photonics based attachments to detect air pollution levels, malaria in blood cells, allergens in food, etc. In terms of vision it is possible to devise apps and add-on devices to detect /diagnose blinding diseases such as age related macular degeneration, refractive correction, and other abnormalities in the field, especially in developing countries and be able to perform telemedicine.
To learn more about how optics and photonics are shaping the way we live and see, view the following resources:
MEDICINE
In light technology continue to revolutionize the medical industry. Medical imaging, surgical procedures, and even diagnoses rely upon the use of light.
Medical imaging is the process of creating visual representations of the interior of a body for further medical analysis. Such imaging is generally used in medical fields such as neuroscience, cardiology, psychiatry, and psychology, amongst others. Common applications include CT (computed tomography) scans, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasounds, and X-rays (a form of radiography).
With the invention of the laser just over 50 years ago, the role of light in medical procedures has grown immensely. Lasers are especially crucial in dermatology (skin), ophthalmology (eyes), and dentistry due to their precision and high power density. In fact, lasers are now widely used for common procedures such as tumor, tattoo, hair, and birthmark removal. Eye surgery and other surgical procedures now also use the power of lasers rather than invasive methods of the past.
More recently, light applications - specifically lasers - have been used in medical diagnosis due to their non-invasive properties. Routine diagnostics such as tissue oxygenation, early detection of tumors by fluorescence, and early detection of dental cavities are all performed by laser-based medical apparatus.
LIFE SCIENCES
is crucial in exploring the fundamentals of life and our surrounding environment. The overarching fields of physical and natural sciences rely on photonics technology to explore and better understand our world.
Physical science includes physics, astronomy, chemistry, and earth science, and has led to our understanding of far-reaching concepts such as matter, gravity, origins of the Universe, molecular structure, and meteorology. Natural sciences, on the other hand, explore nature’s phenomena and how the Universe works. Branches of natural science include biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and earth sciences. Biology especially depends on light sciences to further research concepts such as molecular biology.
Across the board, instruments developed through light technology are used frequently in life sciences. Found both in both research labs and classrooms, microscopes are used for viewing objects too small to be seen by the naked eye. On the other end of the spectrum,telescopes are instruments that help us to see distant objects in space in order to view and understand the Universe. Technology such as high resolution cameras, laser microdissection, and molecular probe development all aid in the understanding of our natural environment.
VISION
It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul; however, it is optics and photonics that play a major role in studying the eye. Optics and vision go together and optical and photonics technologies are used to examine, correct, and test normal and abnormal vision. These include the whole gamut from simple eyeglasses all the way to laser correction, photodynamic therapies, low vision aids and retinal implants to enable the blind to see. Optics and photonics has enabled the development of sophisticated devices such as optical coherence tomography, photorefraction, LASIK techniques, etc.
There is also a great need for mobile technologies – that is using inexpensive smartphone technologies and building inexpensive, lightweight optics/photonics based attachments to detect air pollution levels, malaria in blood cells, allergens in food, etc. In terms of vision it is possible to devise apps and add-on devices to detect /diagnose blinding diseases such as age related macular degeneration, refractive correction, and other abnormalities in the field, especially in developing countries and be able to perform telemedicine.
To learn more about how optics and photonics are shaping the way we live and see, view the following resources:
Optics Bookshelf
These pages contain links to a range of publications on light and light-based technologies published by our partners, sponsors and collaborators. They include academic journals, textbooks, books for the general reader and magazines.
http://www.light2015.org/Home/LearnAboutLight/Optics-Bookshelf.html
http://www.light2015.org/Home/LearnAboutLight/Optics-Bookshelf.html