Final answer:
Lasers generate light through the process of stimulated emission, and this technology has evolved since its first development in 1960 to produce a range of light wavelengths.
Step-by-step explanation:
Laser sources generate light through a process called stimulated emission of radiation. Stimulated emission is the process by which an incoming photon of a specific frequency can interact with an excited atomic electron (or other excited molecular state), causing it to drop to a lower energy level.
The liberated energy transfers to the electromagnetic field, creating a new photon with a frequency, polarization, and direction of travel that are all identical to the photons of the incident wave. The acronym LASER stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, a revolutionary technology arising from the advancement of quantum physics. The first functional laser was developed in 1960 and utilized a pulsed high-powered flash lamp and a ruby rod to emit red light.
Today, lasers are capable of producing light at various wavelengths, including microwave, infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation. Lasers operate on the principle of achieving a population inversion and using mirrors to enhance the stimulated emission, resulting in coherent and monochromatic light.