Definition

Noun: - A device that generates an intense, narrow beam of coherent light of a single wavelength or color: An optical maser is a type of laser. It produces light through the process of stimulated emission of radiation. The term is synonymous with "laser" and emphasizes its function in the optical (light) spectrum.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The laboratory used an optical maser to conduct precise measurements.
  • The invention of the optical maser revolutionized fields like medicine and telecommunications.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In physics and engineering, "optical maser" is often used interchangeably with "laser," though "laser" is the more common modern term. It specifically denotes devices operating in the visible, infrared, or ultraviolet regions.
  • The experiment required the stable output of a helium-neon optical maser.

Variants and Related Words

• Laser (n): The more common term for an optical maser. It is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
  • A laser pointer is a common low-power optical maser.
• Maser (n): A device that produces coherent microwave radiation, using the same principle of stimulated emission. An optical maser is the optical-frequency version of a maser.
  • Astronomers use masers to study molecules in space.

Synonyms

• Laser: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

Notes on Meaning

• The term "optical maser" is historically significant and technically precise, but in most contemporary contexts, the word laser is used. Both terms refer to the same device and principle.

Noun

1. an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; an optical device that produces an intense monochromatic beam of coherent light