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Dye Lasers
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Published: September 26, 2006
There are three characteristics of a laser: it travels in one specific wavelength (monochromatic), all of the light waves travel in unison (coherence), and it is directional. That is, all of the light is tight and travels to a specific point. This is different from the light of a flashlight beam or a street light which emits light in a wider range.
A Dye Laser is different from a Solid-State Laser. Dye Lasers operate in a liquid rather than a solid solution. They are "tunable", in that their wavelengths can be changed to meet the needs of the task.
Using an example of a Flashlamp-Pumped Dye Laser (FLP), the laser is similar to a ruby or YAG except for the fact that it uses a dye cell instead of a solid rod. The dye becomes excited inside the cell and a laser beam emerges at the ends of the cell. A cell measuring 5mm in diameter and 1 cm in length, mirrors, a lamp, and capacitors make up the entire construction of the laser.
Aside from scientific applications of a dye laser, their are practical applications of it that can be used in everyday society. An article in Skin and Allergy News reported that pulsed dye lasers could help remove post-surgical scars. "Good results" were reported after using a dye laser immediately after removing a patient's sutures. This procedure reduced the likelihood of scarring.
Though other lasers have dermatological uses, pulsed dye lasers use Rhodamine 64, a liquid dye, in both long and short flashes of light. "(The yellow light) is absorbed by the hemoglobin present in the blood and tissues and produces heat damage. This is therefore use to treat vascular lesions like Portwine stains,nevus flemmus, hemangiomas, keloids, hypertrophic scars," and pigmented nevi. Fine veins, telangiectasia, and blushing is treated with dye lasers with long light pulses.
One interesting experiment was reported in an April 1999 issue of FERMILAB's newsletter. Hogan Nguyen used four bright red bowling balls, purchased at a local bowling alley, to use in a KTeV (Kaons at the TeVatron) detector's calibration system. The KTeV detector converts light to current, then current to
digital signals.
Some modifications were made to the four bowling balls before they were tested in the KTeV . A pneumatic drill was used to drill 800 one-millimeter holes in the balls, the insides of the balls were hollowed out, and the tops and bottoms of the balls were shaved off. During the experiment, pulses of light were sent through each ball, during which the light's wavelengths were changed by a vial of fluorescent dye. Fiber optic cables throughout the 800 holes in each ball sent the resulting light to 3,100 cesium iodide crystals.
Because a vial of fluorescent dye is used in the bowling ball experiment, the laser that was used by the FermiLab scientists can be considered a Dye Laser. This fact is backed up from research at Georgia State University. HyperPhysics, an online reference source hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at GSU, says that fluorescent dye such as Rhodamine 6G is used in experiments because of its tunability. That is, its ability to change frequencies.
The symmetrical shape of the bowling balls were vital according to Nguyen. It was important for the fiber optics to be equal distances apart and for them to "see" the same light. At first aluminum was an idea for the KTeV experiment. However, aluminum is hard to find in a perfectly round shape and it is hard to
machine. The bowling ball was a better concept, provided it wasn't the inexpensive brand with soft-foam cores. The bowling balls that sell for $100.00 or more are almost completely solid in construction.
Cardulla, Frank and Bob Becker. "How do lasers work and what is so special about laser light?" ChemMatters Teacher's Guide. Chemistry.org. April 2003. American Chemical Society. Copyright 2006. September 25, 2006.
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/resources/ACS/AC SContent/education/curriculum/chemmatters/tg0403_l />
Csele, Mark. "Flashlamp-Pumped Dye Lasers." Fundamentals of Light Sources and Lasers. Copyright 2004. M. Csele. Copyright 2004. John Wiley and Sons.
September 25, 2006. http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele /lasers/LasersFLP.htm
Splete, Heidi. "Pulsed dye lasers could help erase postsurgical scars." Skin and Allergy News. January 1, 2003. International Medical News Group. September 25, 2006. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0008G5P7E< br />
Sharad, Jaishree. "Lasers in Dermatology." Skinstreet.net. Copyright 2001. September 25, 2006. http://www.skinstreet.net/laser.html
Butler, Sharon. "The Talk of the Lab: Bowling Balls." Fermi News. April 2, 1999. FermiLab. September 25, 2006. http://www.fnal.gov/pub/ferminews/ferminews99-04-0 2/5talk.html
FermiLab. "KTeV in Plain English." KTEV: Kaons at the Tevatron. E.S. September 1997. September 25, 2006. http://kpasa.fnal.gov:8080/public/plain_english.ht ml
Nave, Carl Rod. "Dye Lasers." HyperPhysics. Department of Physics and Astronomy. Copyright 2005. C.R. Nave. Georgia State University. September 26, 2006. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/ lasert.html
A Dye Laser is different from a Solid-State Laser. Dye Lasers operate in a liquid rather than a solid solution. They are "tunable", in that their wavelengths can be changed to meet the needs of the task.
Using an example of a Flashlamp-Pumped Dye Laser (FLP), the laser is similar to a ruby or YAG except for the fact that it uses a dye cell instead of a solid rod. The dye becomes excited inside the cell and a laser beam emerges at the ends of the cell. A cell measuring 5mm in diameter and 1 cm in length, mirrors, a lamp, and capacitors make up the entire construction of the laser.
Aside from scientific applications of a dye laser, their are practical applications of it that can be used in everyday society. An article in Skin and Allergy News reported that pulsed dye lasers could help remove post-surgical scars. "Good results" were reported after using a dye laser immediately after removing a patient's sutures. This procedure reduced the likelihood of scarring.
Though other lasers have dermatological uses, pulsed dye lasers use Rhodamine 64, a liquid dye, in both long and short flashes of light. "(The yellow light) is absorbed by the hemoglobin present in the blood and tissues and produces heat damage. This is therefore use to treat vascular lesions like Portwine stains,nevus flemmus, hemangiomas, keloids, hypertrophic scars," and pigmented nevi. Fine veins, telangiectasia, and blushing is treated with dye lasers with long light pulses.
One interesting experiment was reported in an April 1999 issue of FERMILAB's newsletter. Hogan Nguyen used four bright red bowling balls, purchased at a local bowling alley, to use in a KTeV (Kaons at the TeVatron) detector's calibration system. The KTeV detector converts light to current, then current to
digital signals.
Some modifications were made to the four bowling balls before they were tested in the KTeV . A pneumatic drill was used to drill 800 one-millimeter holes in the balls, the insides of the balls were hollowed out, and the tops and bottoms of the balls were shaved off. During the experiment, pulses of light were sent through each ball, during which the light's wavelengths were changed by a vial of fluorescent dye. Fiber optic cables throughout the 800 holes in each ball sent the resulting light to 3,100 cesium iodide crystals.
Because a vial of fluorescent dye is used in the bowling ball experiment, the laser that was used by the FermiLab scientists can be considered a Dye Laser. This fact is backed up from research at Georgia State University. HyperPhysics, an online reference source hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at GSU, says that fluorescent dye such as Rhodamine 6G is used in experiments because of its tunability. That is, its ability to change frequencies.
The symmetrical shape of the bowling balls were vital according to Nguyen. It was important for the fiber optics to be equal distances apart and for them to "see" the same light. At first aluminum was an idea for the KTeV experiment. However, aluminum is hard to find in a perfectly round shape and it is hard to
machine. The bowling ball was a better concept, provided it wasn't the inexpensive brand with soft-foam cores. The bowling balls that sell for $100.00 or more are almost completely solid in construction.
Cardulla, Frank and Bob Becker. "How do lasers work and what is so special about laser light?" ChemMatters Teacher's Guide. Chemistry.org. April 2003. American Chemical Society. Copyright 2006. September 25, 2006.
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/resources/ACS/AC SContent/education/curriculum/chemmatters/tg0403_l />
Csele, Mark. "Flashlamp-Pumped Dye Lasers." Fundamentals of Light Sources and Lasers. Copyright 2004. M. Csele. Copyright 2004. John Wiley and Sons.
September 25, 2006. http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele /lasers/LasersFLP.htm
Splete, Heidi. "Pulsed dye lasers could help erase postsurgical scars." Skin and Allergy News. January 1, 2003. International Medical News Group. September 25, 2006. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0008G5P7E< br />
Sharad, Jaishree. "Lasers in Dermatology." Skinstreet.net. Copyright 2001. September 25, 2006. http://www.skinstreet.net/laser.html
Butler, Sharon. "The Talk of the Lab: Bowling Balls." Fermi News. April 2, 1999. FermiLab. September 25, 2006. http://www.fnal.gov/pub/ferminews/ferminews99-04-0 2/5talk.html
FermiLab. "KTeV in Plain English." KTEV: Kaons at the Tevatron. E.S. September 1997. September 25, 2006. http://kpasa.fnal.gov:8080/public/plain_english.ht ml
Nave, Carl Rod. "Dye Lasers." HyperPhysics. Department of Physics and Astronomy. Copyright 2005. C.R. Nave. Georgia State University. September 26, 2006. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/ lasert.html
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