Lasers are everywhere, from cutting-edge medical equipment to everyday devices like barcode scanners and DVDs. But what exactly are lasers used for, and how do they impact our daily lives? In this blog post, we’ll dive into the different types of lasers and their applications.
What are different types of lasers used for?
To understand what lasers are used for, it’s essential to know what a laser is. A laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) emits a concentrated, coherent beam of light. This precision and power make lasers ideal for a variety of tasks, from delicate medical procedures to industrial cutting. We dive deeper into this in another of our blog posts.
So, what are the different types of lasers and how are they used?
Fiber Lasers
A fiber laser is a laser where the active gain medium is an optical fiber that has been doped with rare-earth elements, like ytterbium or erbium. The optical fiber is pumped with light from a diode or another laser, causing the doped material to emit photons (light). This light is then amplified as it travels through the fiber, producing a powerful and focused laser beam.
Fibre lasers are typically used to cut, weld and mark metals such as steel, aluminium and brass as well as some plastics. This is usually performed at medium speeds with very high accuracy on computer controlled machines. Thickness in excess of 5mm can be cut and welds up to 5mm deep can be made with higher power systems.
The high beam quality of fibre lasers allows them to be used to mark metals and some plastics at very high speeds (>5m.s-1) with very fine features, smaller than 0.1mm.
Fiber lasers are a powerful and versatile tool, with applications that span across industries, from manufacturing and medicine to telecommunications and scientific research. Their high precision, efficiency, and reliability make them ideal for tasks that require accuracy and minimal waste.
CO2 Lasers
A CO2 laser is a type of gas laser that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as the medium to produce a highly focused and powerful beam of infrared light. The basic operation of a CO2 laser involves exciting carbon dioxide gas with an electrical current to produce light.
CO2 lasers can generate high power levels, making them suitable for heavy-duty industrial tasks like cutting thick materials. Despite their power, CO2 lasers are also capable of fine, intricate work, making them ideal for detailed engraving and delicate medical procedures.
CO2 lasers have a much longer wavelength, 10um, 10x a fibre laser, which is into the mid IR (infrared) range. At this wavelength, all plastics, glass and organic materials like wood and cotton absorb the laser so these materials are normally cut and engraved using CO2 lasers.
Diode Lasers
A diode laser is a type of laser that uses a semiconductor diode as the active medium to generate laser light. These lasers are compact, efficient, and widely used in various applications due to their small size, energy efficiency, and ability to produce a wide range of wavelengths.
Diode lasers are small and lightweight, making them less expensive and easy to integrate into various devices. As such, these lasers tend to be a preferred option for those interested in crafting or starting a small business.
As with their counterparts, diode lasers can also cut and weld metals but the speed and lack of accuracy usually result in a less cost-effective process. Diode lasers have the lowest optical power compared to other types of laser engravers. However, diode lasers can be used to weld plastics to each other and as high precision heat sources for surface treatments such as hardening, as well as being the power source for other lasers such as YAG and fibre.
Conclusion
CO2, fiber, and diode lasers differ significantly in several ways, primarily in their operating principles. For users, these distinctions translate into variations in cost, the types of materials they can cut or engrave, speed, lifespan, and power output.
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