Lasers transform light of various frequencies into a chromatic radiation that is coherent, highly intense, highly directional, and highly monochromatic. A laser works by stimulating the emission of photons from excited atoms or molecules in a lasing medium, which causes those photons to stimulate the emission of more photons, leading to an avalanche effect. Nd:YAG lasers use a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet crystal as the lasing medium, which is pumped by a flashlamp to produce a coherent beam of infrared light. Lasers have applications in industry, medicine, the military, and science due to their unique properties.