What are practical applications of Queues?

For what applications are lasers essential, and what light/energy applications are amenable to non-laser alternatives?

• I’m trying to understand, given the wide array of current laser applications: Which applications actually require laser characteristics, as opposed to just use lasers because they are the most practical/efficient source of light with characteristics not unique to lasers What alternatives exist, or may exist, to lasers for applications that don’t require laser characteristics My key assumption here is that the essential characteristic of a laser is that it produces temporally coherent light. Often, but not necessarily, lasers produce light with two other useful characteristics: Monochromaticity Collimation But these convenient characteristics can be produced using non-lasers. For example, LEDs produce monochromatic light. And lenses can take diffuse light and produce a beam collimated to near the diffraction limit, right? If this is the case, then the only applications that require lasers are those that depend on interferometry, and that’s pretty much just holography and measurement, right? All of the other applications – directed energy, medical therapies, optical discs, optronics – could be accomplished with non-coherent collimated and/or monochromatic light, right? Presumably lasers are used in these cases only because they are currently the most efficient or practical way of producing light with those characteristics. But now I am wondering: What other technologies could supersede lasers in practice (and efficiency) for applications that require light with high energy, collimation, and/or monochromaticity?

• Answer:

  There is a famous quote - No one uses a laser because they want to. Let me just comment on the first part of the question (For what applications are lasers essential?) Several applications depend on the unique characteristics of a laser. When an application can't be served by any other light source, a laser is the chosen  light source. Several examples: Coherence Length - This unique property enables applications like Holography and Interferometry. Brightness - Laser achieve a very high brightness (laser power in a very small area). You could cut thin metal with a flashlight if you focused the beam to a 10 micron spot size. Regrettably, the flashlight cant focus that small. Only a laser beam can be that small and retain a significantly high power density. Spectral Purity - Lasers are inherently monochromatic. Almost all other light sources are not monochromatic. Applications like cell analysis (fluorescence) depend on NOT having a pumping probe that overlaps the fluorescence signal. Lasers are ideal. These are just a few quick though. As always, If you need laser sources for OEM applications visit http://www.PowerTechnology.com.(Sorry we can't help individuals or hobbyist with their laser needs.)