7月15日,在加拿大渥太华,使用一台横向激励大气压CO_2激光器点燃了21届奥林匹克运动会的火炬。这台激光器由魁北克通用技术公司生产,作为传递从希腊到加拿大的火炬通讯接力的一员。火焰最初在奥林匹克点燃,由太阳光聚焦在橄榄油为燃料的火炬上,然后由运动员送到雅典。在雅典,离子传感器被火焰激发,它触发射频讯号,该信号经通讯卫星发送至渥太华。 On July 15, in Ottawa, Canada, the torch of the 21st Olympic Games was lit up using a lateral-excitation CO 2 laser. The laser, manufactured by General Technology Company of Quebec, serves as a relay to relay torch communications from Greece to Canada. The flame was first lighted up in the Olympics, focused by the sunlight on an olive oil-fueled torch, which was then sent to Athens by athletes. In Athens, the ion sensor is excited by a flame that triggers a radio frequency signal that is sent via satellite to Ottawa.