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You may be correct in inferring that you are unable to purchase a simplistic white laser pointer, however white laser lights do exist in the scientific community for research.

Before I go into detail, the reason why white lasers are fairly uncommon, especially in a commercially available laser pointer form is due to the construction of the regular laser pointer. You must understand that white light consists of a large variation of different wavelengths of light including the blue, red and green wavelengths all mixed together. The individual colors are restricted to a small range of wavelengths, such as blue, red or green.

Laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses. Light of a specific wavelength that passes through the gain medium is amplified (increases in power); the surrounding mirrors ensure that most of the light makes many passes through the gain medium, being amplified repeatedly. Part of the light that is between the mirrors (that is, within the cavity) passes through the partially transparent mirror and escapes as a beam of light. Most practical lasers contain additional elements that affect properties such as the wavelength of the emitted light and the shape of the beam. In short, laser light is most easily made when restricted to a specific wavelength, hence giving it its characteristic color, such as a blue, red or green laser.

Now, typically, lasers are thought of as only emitting light with a narrow wavelength spectrum ("monochromatic" light). This is not true of all lasers, however: some emit light with a broad spectrum, while others emit light at multiple distinct wavelengths simultaneously. The laser type you may be interested in is the Ion Laser. An Ion Laser is a gas laser which uses an ionized gas as its lasing medium. Like other gas lasers, ion lasers feature a sealed cavity containing the laser medium and mirrors forming a Fabry-Perot resonator. Unlike normal gas lasers, the energy level transitions that contribute to laser action come from ions. A mix of argon and krypton can result in a laser with output wavelength appearing as a brilliant white laser light.

Because of the large amount of energy required to excite the ionic transitions used in ion lasers, the required current is much greater, and as a result all but the smallest ion lasers are water cooled. A small air cooled ion laser might produce, for example, 130mW of light with a tube current of 10A @ 105V. This is a total power draw over 1 kW, which translates into a large amount of heat which must be dissipated. It is therefore easy to see why such a laser would not be easily commercially available as well as compact enough to fit into a laser pointer size, since it requires a cooling system and powerful energy source.

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What is the difference between a laser light and the light beam from a white flashlight?

A laser light is coherent, meaning its waves are all in phase and directional, giving a narrow beam. In contrast, light from a white flashlight is incoherent and spreads out in various directions. Laser light also has a single color (wavelength), while white light contains a mix of colors.


What is the main difference between laser and ordinary white light?

The main difference is that laser light is coherent, meaning the light waves are aligned and moving in a single direction, while ordinary white light is non-coherent, with light waves traveling in random directions. Laser light is also monochromatic, meaning it consists of a single color, while white light contains a mixture of different colors.


What is the principle work of the filter when white light incident on it and laser incident too?

When white light is incident on a filter, it selectively absorbs certain wavelengths of light and transmits others based on its design. With a laser, the filter will either transmit or reflect the specific wavelength of the laser light, depending on its properties. In both cases, the filter's role is to control the passage of light based on its optical characteristics.


How can you tell the difference between a laser and a beam of white light?

A laser produces a narrow, intense, and coherent beam of light with a single color or wavelength, while white light consists of a combination of different wavelengths. Lasers have high directionality and are often used in precise applications like cutting or surgery, while white light is more diffused and natural in appearance. Additionally, lasers have distinct properties such as coherence and monochromaticity that differentiate them from white light sources.


Is laser light hotter than white light?

No, laser light is not typically hotter than white light. The temperature of light is determined by its energy density, not its color or source. Laser light can feel more intense on the skin because it is focused in a narrow beam, but it does not have a higher temperature than white light.

Related Questions

What is the principle of work of the filter when white light incident on it and laser incident too?

what is principle work of filter when white light incident on it and laser incident too


What is the difference between a laser light and the light beam from a white flashlight?

A laser light is coherent, meaning its waves are all in phase and directional, giving a narrow beam. In contrast, light from a white flashlight is incoherent and spreads out in various directions. Laser light also has a single color (wavelength), while white light contains a mix of colors.


What is the main difference between laser and ordinary white light?

The main difference is that laser light is coherent, meaning the light waves are aligned and moving in a single direction, while ordinary white light is non-coherent, with light waves traveling in random directions. Laser light is also monochromatic, meaning it consists of a single color, while white light contains a mixture of different colors.


Is it possible to create white colored laser?

It is, but you have to use an red, blue and green laser. White light is a mixture of different wavelenght's en thus cannot be created with a single laser


What is the principle work of the filter when white light incident on it and laser incident too?

When white light is incident on a filter, it selectively absorbs certain wavelengths of light and transmits others based on its design. With a laser, the filter will either transmit or reflect the specific wavelength of the laser light, depending on its properties. In both cases, the filter's role is to control the passage of light based on its optical characteristics.


How can you tell the difference between a laser and a beam of white light?

A laser produces a narrow, intense, and coherent beam of light with a single color or wavelength, while white light consists of a combination of different wavelengths. Lasers have high directionality and are often used in precise applications like cutting or surgery, while white light is more diffused and natural in appearance. Additionally, lasers have distinct properties such as coherence and monochromaticity that differentiate them from white light sources.


Is laser light hotter than white light?

No, laser light is not typically hotter than white light. The temperature of light is determined by its energy density, not its color or source. Laser light can feel more intense on the skin because it is focused in a narrow beam, but it does not have a higher temperature than white light.


How laser pointers work?

Laser lights have certain characteristics that allow it to seperate from regulare white light. The light is colored because it is organized light. It also contains a specific wavelength which produces the colored light.


How hot or cold does laser surgery get?

The word laser means light. This means that while having any type of laser eye surgery dose not increase or decrease in temperature. This is because only white light can increase its temp.


What are the applications of white light laser technology in various industries?

White light laser technology has applications in various industries such as healthcare for medical imaging and surgery, manufacturing for precision cutting and welding, and communications for high-speed data transmission.


Why could white light not be produced by a laser?

It would involve mutliple colors being shot out of the laser...that's impossible. Lasers can shoot red, green, and blue light, and that's it.


Difference between white light and laser light?

White light is a mixture of many waves of different links called frequency, it's like musical instruments playing different notes, but the light from a laser contains waves of one light only which make a single color.