U4AOS1 Topic 26: Production of Light

Light is produced in 4 main ways.

 

LASER: LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation and is coherent and polarised. It has a narrow bandwidth.

LED: Light Emitting Diodes produce light when electricity passes through a microchip. Can be monochromatic or multiple.

Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs heat up a coil which causes it to glow and release light. This light is not coherent and not polarised and is mainly infrared light.

Synchrotron: Produce light from accelerating charged particles through magnetic fields. Is polarised however has a range of wavelengths and is not coherent.