What kind of light is used to make a cutting laser?

Answer 1

A laser (acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation) is an optical source that emits photons in a coherent beam. The back-formed verb lase means "to produce laser light" or "to apply laser light to".

In analogy with optical lasers, a device which produces any particles or electromagnetic radiation in a coherent state is also called a "laser", usually with indication of type of particle as prefix (for example, atom laser.) In most cases, "laser" refers to a source of coherent photons, i.e. light or other electromagnetic radiation.

Laser light is typically near-monochromatic, i.e., consisting of a single wavelength or color, and emitted in a narrow beam. This contrasts with common light sources, such as the incandescent light bulb, which emit incoherent photons in almost all directions, usually over a wide spectrum of wavelengths.

Answer 2

Thanks 'Ron' very interesting but no mention of the word 'cutting' and no mention of the application of laser cutting anywhere in your reply!

The fact is that laser light of almost any wavelength will cut, if the energy is high enough. The 'cutting' action results from rapid heating, melting, boiling as the beam interacts with an opaque solid surface, through which, of course light cannot pass.

Clearly the most effective lower power lasers will use the infra-red spectrum where the wave-lengths in question manifest as heat even at relatively low energy.

The first laser was a chromium-doped ruby rod, energised by a powerful white flash. Now almost any fluid or dispersed atom can be made to lase by application of various sources of energy, possibly the most popular being a pulsed magnetic field.

I recall a Sunday Express colour supplement article in the early days of ruby lasers, which called the laser 'An answer in search of a problem', because they had no idea what use a laser could be put to except at some misty point in the future as a death-ray!!!.

They certainly could not have imagined lasers being used to read CDs in personal stereos.

Answer 3

It depends on the material you want to cut.
I help make lasers with a wavelength of 10.6microns. (infra red).
This is great for cutting many plastics metals and wood, but not everything.

Considering just plastics - there are dozens of kinds. Each one will react most to a particular wavelength of light, lets say 8, 9, 10microns. Its not easy to change the wavelength of a laser & still deliver a lot of power. But It can be done for telecoms lasers firing into fibre optic cables for example.

Some of the bigger industrial lasers deliver 50kW. With these you can weld plates of steel together to make a ship's hull.

Very often, gas is piped around the laser beam, under pressure to help eject the debris that the beam cuts. It may blow it out sideways or through the sheet of material.

Although many people think the laser beams are parallel, they are not quite. A beam 2cm in diameter pointed at the moon might be 400m in diameter when it gets there.

In industrial applications its important to focus the beam to a very tiny circular dot just where the energy is needed.

The laser in Goldfinger would be utterly useless in cutting gold.
The red light would mostly reflect off the surface.
Visible lasers are also extremely dangerous to eyesight, even 10mW could score your retina if left in a spot for a while.
We make lasers in the 100-1000W range.

Answer 4

Laserlight??!

Answer 5

Why don't you ask Goldfinger?

Answer 6

coherent