laser beam
The development of modern lasers has opened many doors to both research and applications. A laser beam was used to measure the distance from the Earth to the moon. Lasers are important components of CD players. As the image above illustrates, lasers can provide precise focusing of beams to selectively destroy cancer cells in patients. The ability of a laser to focus precisely is due to high-quality crystals that help give rise to the laser beam. A variety of techniques are used to manufacture pure crystals for use in lasers.