All about flooble | fun stuff | Get a free chatterbox | Free JavaScript | Avatars    
perplexus dot info

Home > Science
Ultrashort colour (Posted on 2006-10-06) Difficulty: 4 of 5

Recently physicists have managed to build "attosecond lasers", lasers which emit pulses 10-18 seconds long, interrupted by much longer periods of darkness (at least 10-14 seconds). Before them, lasers emitting femtosecond (10-15 seconds) pulses have been around. Assuming they produce visible light, what colour is it?

See The Solution Submitted by vswitchs    
Rating: 3.7500 (4 votes)

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
Question Question about solution | Comment 13 of 15 |
(In reply to re: Spoiler by gregg)

I took a look at the posted answer and I see how it is valid if the blanking time between pulses is infinity (i.e. a single laser pulse).

However, if the blanking time is only 10^-14 s, I don't see why the spectrum cannot be discrete.  Please see my solution.  If the signal repeats then the frequency spectrum doesn't need to be continuous.  In fact, for any finite repeating blanking time, the spectrum appears to be discrete.

If the blanking time is arbitrarily long then I agree that the spectrum is that of the sinc function cited in the website.  In fact, in a lab, I would think you would capture a single pulse only.

However, if you capture a train of repeating pulses (at 10^-14 s for example) then I don't see how the spectrum is not discrete over the visible as in my posted answer.  I am just trying to clarify and do not intend to question the validity of the solution.


  Posted by gregg on 2006-11-16 02:24:12
Please log in:
Login:
Password:
Remember me:
Sign up! | Forgot password


Search:
Search body:
Forums (0)
Newest Problems
Random Problem
FAQ | About This Site
Site Statistics
New Comments (3)
Unsolved Problems
Top Rated Problems
This month's top
Most Commented On

Chatterbox:
Copyright © 2002 - 2024 by Animus Pactum Consulting. All rights reserved. Privacy Information