Microlasers Produce 3W Output In A Single Beam

Touted as a step above earlier lasers that had two slightly diverging beams, two new families of cw diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) microlasers produce up to 3W of output at 532 nm in a single intense beam. The standard 58 GSS and low-noise 58 GLS series lasers are designed specifically for OEM applications where small size, low power consumption, hands-off operation, and rock-solid reliability are critical. The compact, air-cooled laser head is less than 10” long, including cooling fan and heat sink, and total power dissipation is only 100W. With its standard power supply—which is sold separately—these microlasers can be operated in either a light-regulated or current-regulated mode. All functions and controls are accessible through an RS-232 serial interface. Output power can be computer controlled from a few milliwatts to maximum output, and the system can be pulse modulated either through an internal pulse clock or via external TTL signals. The microlasers can come with specified outputs of 2.0W, 2.5W and 3.0W. The 58 GLS series is said to exhibit amplitude noise of less than 3%. High-power green output of both types of microlasers can be used in many cases to replace the 514 nm output of a mid-sized, water-cooled argon-ion laser.