Light Resonance: Conceptual Question for Physicists

[dillmon]

Hello Physicists,
I don't have an actual math problem, just a conceptual one.
I was wondering specifically about light resonance.

If I understand resonance correctly, if one has two mirrors directly facing each other, one can create a standing wave. At a certain frequency of the light wave (the resonance frequency) the amplitude increases, and the intensity will increase.

Did everything I just state here sound correct to you guys?

 

[andresordonez]

You must have a source of light (with the right frequency) in order for the amplitude to increase.

 

[dillmon]

I guess my real question is
Can you amplify multiple wavelengths?

For example, say sunlight is flowing through a fiber optic cable.

Sunlight has a multitude of wavelengths. Could you in theory, increase the amplitude of all of those wavelengths equally? Also, what happens to the light once its its amplitude is increased?

Since light has photons which determine its intensity, and you can't increase the number of photons through resonance, (can you?) what happens to the nature of light when its amplitude is increased but the number of photons remain the same?

Thank you for you time

 

[tarun abraham]

will photoelectric effect do any good here..??

 

[dillmon]

I know that the photoelectric effect will essentially intensify the light by increasing the amount of photons, and I know that resonance will increase the amplitude of the light wave, but my question is, why can't you do both. Why is it that both methods produce a light that has only one wavelength?

 

[ProTerran]

@dillmon
What you are asking is basically a supercontinuum laser.

 

[dillmon]

@dillmon
What you are asking is basically a supercontinuum laser.

I'm not sure I understand completely. The article says that

"a supercontinuum is formed when a collection of nonlinear processes act together upon a pump beam in order to cause severe spectral broadening of the original pump beam.'

Does this mean that a super continuum laser can produce a broad range of wavelengths?, How exactly, in laymen's terms would this be possible?