How YAG lasers work and why they are so popular
Posted by juliabennet on July 21st, 2013
If you have been looking into the numerous types of lasers and laser components, YAG is one of the names that you must have seen quite often. These lasers are indeed very popular, with a wide range of practical applications. So here is what you should know about them, just to broaden your horizons and overall knowledge.
As you may already know, a laser is nothing but a device capable to emit light through optical amplification. In a few words, it is all about stimulating the emission of an electromagnetic form of radiation. After all, the term is an acronym from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A short classification of these devices would include solid state, gas, excimer, dye and semiconductor lasers.
From all these types, our topic for today would enter the solid-state lasers category. The lasing material is normally distributed through a solid matrix, in our case an yttrium aluminum garnet, hence the YAG short form. It does not take much research in order to notice how the term often receives an Nd: in front of its name, which comes from neodymium-doped. What is this Nd:YAG if not a crystal? Of course, the crystal is one of the many laser components, but even so, it definitely makes the central piece, as it determines the features and particularities of the final product.
Regularly used in its monocrystalline or ceramic forms, the substance presents the following properties: it makes a 4-level gain medium; it can be easily lamp or diode pumped; and it facilitates the effects of detrimental quenching because of the high excitation density of a moderate gain. Its standard wavelength emission is of 1064 nm, yet it can generate anything from 266, 355 or 532 nm by quadrupling, tripling or doubling the frequency. Specialists in the field really know how to joggle with the numerous components and wavelengths of these yttrium aluminum garnet lasers for optimum benefits.
Nevertheless, what kind of benefits and practical utilities are we talking about? It turns out that anyone working in medicine, manufacturing, fluid dynamics, dentistry, military defense, cavity ring down spectroscopy, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, laser pumping and even automotive may eventually need it. In medicine for example, they use it for anything from removing the toenail infection to cataract surgery and skin cancer treatments! In manufacturing, they engrave all sorts of materials with this laser, and in fluid dynamics they implement the laser components for flow visualization techniques.
Dentists use YAG lasers for surgeries on soft tissues. At the opposite corner of utility’s spectrum, military and defense systems implement the technology in laser rangefinders and designators. As for the last and most surprising applicability, the one of automotive field, it regards a currently under research technique! Studied by some Japanese scientists, the project aims to set up an engine ignite fuel system based on YAG chips.
Needless to say, the tremendous benefits of this yttrium aluminum garnet technology are more than obvious. With tens if not hundreds of practical utilities, lasers make our world a better place. Knowing how and where they work will definitely help us at one point or another.
If you need laser components or more support with implementing YAG technology, you have come to the right place!
