List of laser types
This list of laser types includes lasers categorized according to their laser medium . Listed are gas lasers , dye lasers , solid state lasers and their respective subcategories such. B. Laser diodes (semiconductor lasers), metal vapor lasers and excimer lasers . Free-electron lasers are not listed as they are not actually lasers (not an active laser medium and therefore no reduction in population inversion through stimulated emission ).
General overview
Lasers are mostly categorized according to their laser medium. In general, the categorization follows the thermodynamic aggregate states of the laser medium. These are then further broken down into more specific types of states. For example, gaseous media can be distinguished on the basis of their ionization and solids according to their conductivity or other properties. The following graphic gives a rough overview of a common categorization:
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The following graphic contains an overview of the wavelengths of commercially available lasers. Laser types with discrete laser lines are shown above and tunable lasers below the wavelength bar. The color indicates the type of laser material:
List of laser types
The following table contains the most common names, the type, the laser medium, the most important wavelengths (a range means that the laser can be tuned over this range), whether ( ) or not ( ) pulse operation and continuous wave operation (cw) are used or not . efficiently possible, the typical designs and pump sources and a selection of the most common areas of application. For the sake of clarity and frequency, lasers with gases that are neutral at room temperature are only given as gas and lasers with doped non-metal materials of the solid state , all others are specified in more detail. The design indicates the form in which the laser medium or the entire resonator can be built:
- flowed - the gas or dye is continuously changed
- closed - the gas or dye is sealed in the resonator
- Crystal - The solid is in the form of a crystal block
- Fiber - The solid is as fiberglass ago
- Slab - The device is implemented as a slab laser (plates)
Surname | other names | Type | Laser medium | ( nm ) | Pulse / cw | Designs | Pump source | Miscellaneous and use |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carbon monoxide laser | CO laser | gas | Carbon monoxide | 4800 to 8300 | / | streamed, closed | Glow discharge , electron beam | Material processing, laser spectroscopy |
Carbon dioxide laser | CO 2 laser | gas | Carbon dioxide , nitrogen | 10600 | / | streamed, closed, slab | Glow discharge, electron beam | Material processing |
Nitrogen laser | N 2 laser | gas | nitrogen | 337.1 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Pump source , laser spectroscopy |
Ruby laser | - | Solid | Chromium ions in ruby | 694.3 | / | crystal | Flash tube | first laser, hardly used anymore |
Titanium: sapphire laser | TiS, TiSa, Ti: Sa | Solid | Titanium ions in sapphire | 700 to 1000 | / | crystal | green cw laser | ultrashort pulses, laser spectroscopy |
Helium-neon laser | HeNe | gas | Neon and helium | 632.8 / 1152.3 / 3392.2 | / | closed | Gas discharge | first cw laser, hardly used anymore |
Argon ion laser | Ar + laser | Ion gas | Argon ions | 514.5 / 457.9 / 488/351 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Pump source, laser shows, medicine |
Helium-cadmium laser | HeCd laser | Metal vapor | Cadmium gas and helium | 325/442 | / | closed | ? | Material science, medical technology |
Copper vapor laser | - | Metal vapor | Copper gas | 510.6 / 578.2 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Laser shows, pump source, medicine |
Gold vapor laser | - | Metal vapor | Gold gas | 627.8 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Pump source, medicine |
Lead vapor laser | - | Metal vapor | Lead gas | 723 | / | closed | Gas discharge | only proof of concept |
Nd: YAG laser | Neodymium YAG laser | Solid | Neodymium ions in yttrium aluminum garnet | 1064 | / | crystal | Gas discharge tube , laser diode (808 nm) | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
Nd: YVO4 laser | Neodymium Vanadate Laser | Solid | Neodymium ions in yttrium - vanadate crystal lattice | 914/1064/1342 | / | crystal | Flash lamp, laser diode (801 - 821 nm) | Material processing, spectroscopy , medicine |
Yb: YAG laser | Ytterbium YAG laser | Solid | Ytterbium ions in yttrium aluminum garnet | 1030 | / | crystal | Gas discharge tube , laser diodes | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
Ho: YAG laser | Holmium YAG laser | Solid | Holmium ions in yttrium aluminum garnet | 2100 | / | crystal | Gas discharge tube , laser diodes | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
He: YAG laser | Erbium YAG laser | Solid | Erbium ions in yttrium aluminum garnet | 1540/2940 | / | crystal | Gas discharge tube , laser diodes | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
He: glass laser | Erbium glass laser | Solid | Erbium ions in various types of glass | 1540 | / | Crystal, fiber | Gas discharge tube , laser diodes | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
Nd: glass laser | Neodymium glass laser | Solid | Neodymium ions in various types of glass | 1062 | / | Crystal, fiber | Xe flash tube , laser diodes | Material processing, pump source, medicine |
XeCl excimer laser | 308 nm excimer laser | Excimer | Xenon chloride | 308 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Pump source, medicine |
ArF excimer laser | - | Excimer | Argon fluoride | 193 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Photolithography , pump source, medicine |
KrF excimer laser | - | Excimer | Krypton fluoride | 248 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Photolithography , pump source, medicine |
XeF excimer laser | - | Excimer | Xenon fluoride | 351 | / | closed | Gas discharge | Pump source, medicine |
Oxygen ion laser | O 3+ laser | Ion gas | Oxygen ions | 559 | / | closed | Gas discharge | ? |
Indium gallium nitride laser | InGaN laser diode | semiconductor | Indium gallium nitride | 370 ... 405 * .. 530 | / | crystal | Direct current | * Blu-ray , spectroscopy |
Aluminum gallium arsenide laser | AlGaAs laser diode | semiconductor | Aluminum gallium arsenide | 730 ... 785 * ... 850 | / | crystal | Direct current | * CD-ROM drives |
Dye laser | Dye laser | dye | Stilbenes , coumarins , rhodamines | many, tunable | / | flowed (cw), closed (pulse) | other lasers (Nd: YAG, diodes), flash lamps | Spectroscopy and dye lasers can be tuned over a wide range |
further reading
- F. Kneubühl, M. Sigrist: Laser . 7th edition. Vieweg + Teubner, Wiesbaden 2008, ISBN 978-3-8351-0145-6 .
- Bahaa EA Saleh, Malvin Carl Teich: Fundamentals of Photonics . 2nd Edition. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-40677-7 .
- Laser in the Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Yttrium vanadate laser (YVO4) with Nd doping. (No longer available online.) In: weber-stempel.de. July 10, 2012, archived from the original on February 1, 2016 ; accessed on February 1, 2016 (German). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.