Why is LASER light used in surgeries?« Back to Questions List

We see the world around us because objects reflect light that falls on them which enables us to see them. White light contains different frequencies traveling in all directions, including the ones that are beyond the visible spectrum. The light waves are known to be transverse in nature containing crests and troughs. It may contain different frequencies and so are they in different colors. Waves of same wavelength can be in phase or out of phase. That means the crests and trough could be oriented or disoriented.


Laser light

From the properties of white light, we find that it is not very orderly like the laser light. LASER stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. This laser light is more orderly and monochromatic in nature. This means it is of one wavelength (one frequency) and of a single color. All the peaks and troughs are always in phase.


laser light 1


Laser light is highly directional while ordinary light is emitted in many directions. It is much more intense as the beam does not diverge but remains concentrated in the narrow beam. It is also coherent in nature which means it is a continuous wave. The wavelengths of the laser light are always in phase in space and time. For instance, the light from a flashlight cannot travel long distances as it is unfocused and diverges as the travelled distance increases. Laser light, however, can travel a long distance as they are coherent and do not spread out while traveling. 


laser light 2


From these properties of laser we find that laser can be focused to very small diameters. This means they can deposit a lot of energy within a small area. These are the reasons for its wide use in surgeries and metal-cutting. Laser therapies cause less bleeding and there is a low risk of infection. Laser light is also used in measuring speed of vehicles, printers, CD players and also creating holograms that we see on the debit/credit cards, driving licenses etc.


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