ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Figure-8 laser

Okay, kiddo, let's talk about a really cool laser called a figure-8 laser.

First, let's talk about what a laser is. A laser is a special kind of light that is made up of just one color (or wavelength) of light. It's like a special flashlight that only shines one color of light.

Now, the figure-8 laser is called that because it makes a shape that looks like the number 8. It does this by using a special mirror inside the laser that splits the laser light into two parts that go in different directions.

One part of the laser light travels in a circle, while the other part travels straight across. The two parts of the laser light come back together and make that figure-8 shape.

What's so special about this laser is that it can produce very short and very fast pulses of light. These light pulses are so short they can be just femtoseconds long (really, really, really short!). Scientists and engineers use these lasers for lots of things, like measuring time, studying molecules, and even for medical treatments.

So, there you have it - a figure-8 laser is a special kind of laser that makes a shape that looks like the number 8, and it produces really short and really fast pulses of light. Pretty cool, huh?