Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcdc!hpfcdj!brian
From: brian@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Brian Rauchfuss)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Color desktop scanners (a technical discussion begins)
Message-ID: <17400004@hpfcdj.HP.COM>
Date: 16 Aug 89 14:57:00 GMT
References: <1869@ucsd.EDU>
Organization: Hewlett Packard -- Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 17

sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes:

>Some surgeons needed different frequencies of lasers for different tasks, so
>they were using a Dye laser. From what I could gather, a primary laser excited
>a dye which emmitted a secondary laser which could be tuned to almost any 
>frequency. 

A dye laser is pumped by a primary laser and then lases at its characteristic
frequency.  The laser can be fine tuned around this frequency, but to get
a big change in frequency you need to change the dye!  Dyes are availible for
nearly any color.  (Since a dye lasers are relatively cheap, could you have
three of them?  or three dye tubes that use the same mirrors and pump?)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Smokefoot              "... never knowing I could shape my life
brian@hpfcbdr.HP.COM         like the artist paints his dreams
                             on a canvas." - Minor Detail