The output of a laser which is operated in a continuous rather than a pulsed mode For purposes of safety evaluation, a laser operating with a continuous output for a period > 0 25 s is regarded as a cw laser
A laser that is on continuously from the time it is turned on until the time it is turned off Contrast a CW laser with a pulse laser
(CW) A sustained sinusoidal oscillation or oscillatory wave in which additional energy is added during each cycle Also known as an undamped wave A continuous wave can be modulated with audio, video or data A wave whose successive oscillations are, under steady-state conditions, identical When the wave is unmodulated the signal is highly monochromatic While the term is most commonly associated with the operation of non-spark type wireless transmitters, Tesla said he was able to produce "a perfectly continuous wave" with his more advanced disruptive discharge machines See also damped wave