What directionality do lasers typically exhibit?

Lasers are known for their unidirectional emission, meaning they produce a highly focused beam of light that travels in a single direction. This characteristic is a result of the coherent light produced through the process of stimulated emission in the laser medium. The emitted photons are essentially in phase and travel in parallel, which leads to a narrow and well-defined beam with minimal spread. This unidirectional property is what makes lasers particularly effective in applications such as cutting, engraving, and telecommunications, where precision and intensity are crucial.

In contrast, other forms of light sources, such as incandescent bulbs, emit light in all directions (omnidirectional), while some devices might emit light in multiple directions or can have beams that vary in direction but do not achieve the coherence and focus of a laser. The unique unidirectional nature of lasers is thus what sets them apart and makes their applications highly efficient.