Question: what is a laser facility

Ceri Brenner answered on 15 Jun 2011:

Hi,

A laser facility is a research complex that hosts powerful laser systems that we can use for research experiments. The facility is paid by the government to support the laser systems and to support the researchers that use the lasers, there’s loads of people involved.

The laser systems are very expensive and difficult to maintain, it takes a whole team of laser scientists here at the central laser facility to build and keep the laser working properly. A laser system is actually made up of a whole chain of mirrors, splitting prisms, amplifying crystals, phase plates and so on….so it’s more than just flicking a laser switch. check out the film on my profile if you want to see inside the facility and the laser system and you’ll see what i mean.