ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Multiple-prism grating laser oscillators

Okay, imagine you have a flashlight and you want to make the light go back and forth really fast so it makes a bright and steady beam of light. That's what people do with lasers, but it's a lot more complicated.

A multiple-prism grating laser oscillator is like a fancy version of the flashlight. It has special mirrors and pieces of glass that make the light bounce around and get stronger. Think of it like a maze for light that helps it become more powerful.

The "prism" part of the name refers to the glass pieces that bend the light as it goes through them. The "grating" part is a special kind of mirror that reflects the light back and forth so it can get stronger.

All of these pieces are carefully arranged so the laser light bounces around in a certain way, kind of like how you might bounce a ball off the walls of a hallway to make it go really fast. The more the light bounces, the more powerful it gets.

Scientists and engineers use multiple-prism grating laser oscillators to make lasers that are really precise and can produce a certain color of light. These lasers are used in all sorts of things, like scientific experiments, medical procedures, and even video projectors.