Radiation, in this case, is another word for electromagnetic energy, which includes light. Laser light has several properties that make it different from regular light. First, it is often collimated, which means it travels in a narrow beam for long distances, rather than going off in many directions as regular light does. Laser light is also coherent, which means that the light waves stay synchronized over long distances. And it is monochromatic, of one color.
Some laser beams are invisible, producing light in the infrared or ultraviolet wavelengths.
A laser can produce a short burst of light or a continuous beam. Because it can focus narrowly, laser light can be much more intense than regular light, especially in bursts. Laser beams range in power from a few microwatts to several billion watts in short bursts. How a Laser Works To understand how a laser works, first you have to understand something about light. Light is the visible form of electromagnetic energy.