Acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. A device that produces a
coherent beam of optical radiation by stimulating electronic, ionic, or molecular transitions to higher energy levels so that when they return to lower energy levels they emit energy.
Note 1: Laser radiation may be either temporally coherent, spatially coherent, or both.
Note 2: The
degree of coherence of laser radiation exceeds 0.88. (
188 )