488nm COOL BLUE Laser. Where are these Diodes?????

[joenobody]

488nm COOL BLUE! Where are these Diodes to make a pointer out of? Any info?
: : :

Solid State 488 nm Lasers target biomedical applications.

December 5, 2006 - Sapphire 488 HP, 500 mW, air-cooled laser head measures 8.4 x 5.5 x 2.0 in., and offers divergence less than 1.2 mrad, noise less than 0.5% rms from 20 Hz to 2 MHz, and pointing stability of less than ±30 µrad over 2 hr and ±3°C. Offered in 4.9 x 2.8 x 1.3 in. form factor, 75 mW Sapphire 488 LP is suited for semiconductor inspection and instrumentation applications.

Really would like one!

Thanks!
Joe

 

[pseudonomen137]

Re: 488nm COOL BLUE Laser. Where are these Diodes?

They aren't diodes unfortunately. They are DPSS. IE, a diode pumps another medium (some sort of crystal), which itself lases, then you normally have some non-linear optical process, etc. Very difficult. Just a guess, but I'd assume that laser is well into the 5 figures, USD.


Have a little more respect for lasers, they aren't all just little chips you pull from Playstations and hook up a few batteries to  

 

[joenobody]

Re: 488nm COOL BLUE Laser. Where are these Diodes?

Hi,
Thanks for the info.
Yes, I do respect them very much so. It has been 20+ years since I messed around with anything that has the design qualities that these have. There wasn't anything around like this when I went to College. Unfortuantely, I went into another field untill 2000, when I went back to LED End Product Design, such as LED Lights for Police and Fire Use, etc. I Designed an LED Light Bar that are on Every State Dept, Secret Service, Police Vehicles in the D.C. VA. MD. Areas, Then my Product went nation wide.
Have a similar story to tell as the guy from WL, so I got $%#&! on that whole deal. But my Product Lives Yet Today! Don't know if I should Mention any Names, as I still have a Case to Pursue if I want to spend the Money. (250K+/- for Patent Infringement-No Contingantcy, 5 Years+ in Court) Also, inappropreate for this thread so I will- :-X
So now disabled I wished to learn my new hobby of Lasers and you guys have been a great help. Though I am sure I will continue to post Stupid Questions and Comments. So Bare w/ Me Please. I am getting the green and red basic design down, but these New Hi-Tech Stuff like this 488nm, I had no idea what was involved w/ its design or complication. Figured since it was Solid State and not far off 405 Blu's that it couldn't be too hard to do in the near future when parts are more available, like w/ most everything else. But I guess maybe not. Sure is interesting how just a small shift in light wave can effect the design and cost of each different one. You can get a Blu-Ray Diode and home build it for $50 or less, and you are in business. But 488nm cost an arm and your first born. Understandably this feild appears to be quite in its Infantcy Stages thus far. Future Tech is going to be Incredable!
Sorry if ramblin'- home alone today, I will- :-X :-X :-X
Thanks, Joe

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Re: 488nm COOL BLUE Laser. Where are these Diodes?

Joe --

If 488 nM is what you want, you might find a deal on fleabay for an Argon Ion laser. Not too much power out but they make great room heaters in the winter !!!

Mike

 

[heruursciences]

Re: 488nm COOL BLUE Laser. Where are these Diodes?

The sapphire is an OPTICALLY pumped frequency doubled semiconductor laser diode assembly. I actually have some of the active mqw semiconductor material intended for them that i got from a surplus auction. It uses a bow tie configuration and a LBO crystal, However the failure rate is high because the MQW substrate assemblies don't like to run Single-mode, especially at high power, and have a high rate of temperature drift.

JDS uniphase answered this product with a much better idea. It's a direct diode laser although an odd twist on one. It's an external cavity 976nm single mode laser diode that has been fiber coupled in a ring laser configuration in which a BBO crystal doubles it DIRECTLY! The output is then fed into a fiber for delivery for your confocal microscope or hematology machine or preferably collimated for your projector