Laser Wavelenghts
Posted in Resources at 7:02 pm
Below is a table of different wavelengths and what gas combination generate them. See the list after the jump.
Nonlinear Optics / KTP
I just found a great article on how frequency doubling works in nonlinear optics. This is the process that is used to create your 532nm lasers (among other colors.) Below is a brief summary of the article. Check out the links for more information. Read the rest of this entry »
Different types of lasers
I found a great resource for laser types. Check out the full list after the jump.
Gas lasers
| Laser gain medium and type | Operation wavelength(s) | Pump source | Applications and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helium-neon laser | 632.8 nm (543.5 nm, 593.9 nm, 611.8 nm, 1.1523 μm, 1.52 μm, 3.3913 μm) | Electrical discharge | Interferometry, holography, spectroscopy, barcode scanning, alignment, optical demonstrations. |
| Argon laser | 454.6 nm, 488.0 nm, 514.5 nm (351 nm,457.9 nm, 465.8 nm, 476.5 nm, 472.7 nm, 528.7 nm) | Electrical discharge | Retinal phototherapy (for diabetes), lithography, confocal microscopy, pumping other lasers. |
| Krypton laser | 416 nm, 530.9 nm, 568.2 nm, 647.1 nm, 676.4 nm, 752.5 nm, 799.3 nm | Electrical discharge | Scientific research, mixed with argon to create “white-light” lasers, light shows. |
| Xenon ion laser | Many lines throughout visible spectrum extending into the UV and IR. | Electrical discharge | Scientific research. |
| Nitrogen laser | 337.1 nm | Electrical discharge | Pumping of dye lasers, measuring air pollution, scientific research. Nitrogen lasers can operate superradiantly (without a resonator cavity). Amateur laser construction. See TEA laser |
| Carbon dioxide laser | 10.6 μm, (9.4 μm) | Transverse (high power) or longitudinal (low power) electrical discharge | Material processing (cutting, welding, etc.), surgery. |
| Carbon monoxide laser | 2.6 to 4 μm, 4.8 to 8.3 μm | Electrical discharge | Material processing (engraving, welding, etc.), photoacoustic spectroscopy. |
| Excimer laser | 193 nm (ArF), 248 nm (KrF), 308 nm (XeCl), 353 nm (XeF) | Excimer recombination via electrical discharge | Ultraviolet lithography for semiconductor manufacturing, laser surgery, LASIK. |
Read the rest of this entry »
CD-R + Laser = neat effects
Instructables has a good guide on how to create pretty simple light show effects. Learn more after the jump:
Meet the CDRH
Posted in Resources at 10:15 am
It is the FDA. Technically, it is a portion of the FDA called teh Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH.)
Continue.
History of Lasers
Posted in Resources at 9:12 pm
Every good nerd should know something about the history of lasers. I searched for a good (and brief) history and the best I found was on Wikipedia:
In 1957, Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow, then at Bell Labs, began a serious study of the infrared laser. As ideas were developed, infrared frequencies were abandoned with focus on visible light instead. The concept was originally known as an “optical maser”. Bell Labs filed a patent application for their proposed optical maser a year later. Schawlow and Townes sent a manuscript of their theoretical calculations to Physical Review, which published their paper that year (Volume 112, Issue 6).
Sam’s Laser FAQ
Posted in Resources at 8:11 pm
For those of you who are not familiar, one of the best laser resources - covering everything from theory to safety, is Sam’s Laser FAQ. I have attached the table of contents here, but the document itself is huge.
From: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserfaq.htm
Table of Contents….
Closeup of my open-loop xy galvo
Posted in Laser Photos, Resources at 10:15 am
I wanted to show off with some detail how I operate my laser scanner. This isn’t a nice, pre-built box of any kind. Things are mostly held together with zip ties and propped up with coins and paper. Read the post for more….
Color reference table in nm
Posted in Resources at 10:32 pm
I wanted to provide everyone with a quick reference to color as expressed as a wavelength. I found a great reference online that may be help to some readers. This is a chart that illustrates the approximate wavelength of a given color of light.
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New Laser Classification System
Posted in Resources at 2:36 pm
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety
Class 1
A class 1 laser is safe under all conditions of normal use. This means the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) cannot be exceeded. This class includes high-power lasers within an enclosure that prevents exposure to the radiation and that cannot be opened without shutting down the laser. For example, a continuous laser at 600 nm can emit up to 0.39 mW, but for shorter wavelengths, the maximum emission is lower because of the potential of those wavelengths to generate photochemical damage. The maximum emission is also related to the pulse duration in the case of pulsed lasers and the degree of spatial coherence.
