Gas Laser Info

Hey guys.

I'm fairly new to these forums, and it really is a great community. There's tons of info on lasers here; it's a great place for one to get into the laser hobby. I've read mfo's guide. It's great, and it gives a lot of info on building diode lasers. I've searched all around the forum for info on gas lasers, however, and there isn't much. I understand the basics of how a gas laser works from here and my physics class, but there are a few things I'm still not sure about. For example:

1. How does one go about constructing a gas laser, and what are the components needed?
2. Which types of gases/gas mixtures emit which colors?
3. What is the cost of a typical gas laser compared to a diode laser?
4. Is the beam of a gas laser more powerful than a diode laser of the same power?

Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

all this and much more revealed at Sam'sLaser FAQ--google it my friend.

Those questions depend on many, many factors.

DarthNilly said:

1. How does one go about constructing a gas laser, and what are the components needed?
2. Which types of gases/gas mixtures emit which colors?
3. What is the cost of a typical gas laser compared to a diode laser?
4. Is the beam of a gas laser more powerful than a diode laser of the same power?

Click to expand...

To answer your first question, the simplest and most inexpensive way to acquire a gas laser is to look for a combo HeNe tube/PSU on eBay or even better, right here in the b/s/t section. Not much to construct aside from having a tube, a bit of HV wiring, a ballast resistor and a "brick-type" PSU. You could also build your own power supply from discrete components, but the ready-made potted brick PSUs are quite inexpensive and save you the hassle.

Secondly, Mr. Goldwasser's most excellent LaserFAQ
Sam's Laser FAQ: Welcome Page
is going to answer with much detail and accuracy your three other questions.

But a neat little "starter kit" composed of a 6" HeNe tube and accompanying power supply can be purchased for as little as $25. Often, those are the laser assembly modules that were used in grocery checkout scanners or vintage laserdisc players.

Happy hunting and let us know when you join the "gassy" side.

Robert

Awesome. Thanks for the info, guys. Sam's Laser FAQ is huge! I'll have to check out eBay.