Monochromatic light is a one colour light that is typically produced by the process of stimulated emission of photons by the excited atoms. The word monochromatic is derived from two Greek words, ‘mono’ and ‘chromos’. ‘Mono’ means one; whereas, ‘chromos’ means colour. The energy level and the wavelength of the emitted photons tend to determine the frequency and the colour of the light. The wavelength of the photons contained by monochromatic light fall within the range of the electromagnetic spectrum that is easily visible to human eyes called visible light. Monochromatic lights can be used in a variety of applications such as astrophysics, astronomy, forensic science, etc.
Examples of Monochromatic Light
There exist a variety of monochromatic sources of light in our daily life. Some of them are listed below:
1. LASER Light
LASER is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiations. A LASER light produces a highly focused, directional, single coloured, and intense beam of light. Usually, LASER beams are red, green, or blue in colour.
2. Sodium Light
Sodium light is generally light golden yellow in colour and is one of the best examples of monochromatic light used in our daily life.
3. Fingerprint Scanners
A fingerprint scanner typically makes use of monochromatic light to read the fingerprint pattern. The light used by such scanner machines is usually green in colour.
4. UV Monochromatic Devices
Ultraviolet monochromatic devices find their prime application in sanitizing the environment or in forensic science. The light used by such devices is monochromatic in nature and can be used to detect bloodstains, fingerprints, and other hidden particles at a crime scene.
5. Holograms
The holograms imprinted on credit cards, currency notes, and various other documents are generally made with the help of monochromatic laser beams. Also, three-dimensional holograms typically are displayed with the help of monochromatic light radiations.
6. Light Emitting Diodes
The light radiated by a light emitted diode is typically monochromatic in nature as it does not contain photons that belong to different wavelength bands.
7. Spark Lamp
A spark lamp is one of the best examples of monochromatic sources of life. They typically make use of an LED bulb to produce light radiations into the environment.
