LASER stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Ordinary light is made up of a broad range of wavelengths and has relatively low energy. A laser beam consists of a concentrated beam of light that has very high energy of only one wavelength. The excimer laser beam is produced when an electric current is passed through a mixture of argon and fluorine gases, causing them to form diatomic molecules (two-atom molecules). These diatomic molecules are called excited dimers and release energy as the excimer laser beam. The name excimer comes from the words excited dimers.

The excimer laser produces an invisible beam of intense ultraviolet light. Delivered in short bursts of energy called pulses, the excimer laser breaks molecular bonds, vaporising the corneal tissue a few molecular layers at a time.

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