How are Laser Diodes Used?
Laser diodes are used in industry and medicine to generate laser light from 360nm to 25,000nm. This is an extremely broad range of products, but the applications for laser diodes fall into five or six major categories. The list shown below indicates where laser diodes find application. 635-690nm In the visual light range, diodes are used in medicine to generate light for Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDT), bar code readers and for pumping metal vapor gas lasers. The term pumping means to use laser diodes to generate laser light at a specific wavelength that, in turn, starts up a more powerful gas, dye, or tunable solid state laser. In effect, laser diodes at a variety of wavelengths start-up or pump more powerful lasers. 785nm Pumping exotic metal YAG laser systems. 808nm Pumping Nd:YAG laser systems 830nm In general use for laser printers, laser readers. 904nm Short pulse laser diodes are commonly used in ranging (measuring distances). Continuous wave 904nm diodes are used in the military fo
