Advice On Building High Powered Lasers?

[Sonlight City]

Hello everyone! I'm fairly new to the field of laser science and creation. I'm looking to eventually start experimenting around with creating lasers. I have a few questions though. As far as I know, the highest power of laser that is sold on the internet is about 1000mW. Correct? (Unless you're buying lasers for diamond cutting and such). However, I want to build a laser that is a higher power than this. Say maybe 2000mW or 3000mW. Does anyone have any advice about how I might eventually go about doing this? I'm looking into buying the Arctic 1000mW laser from WickedLasers and then proceeding to build a few lower power lasers before I attempt building a higher powered one. But I would still appreciate any advice on the topic of building these higher powered lasers.

Thanks so much!

 

[DJNY]

Get a kit from Yobresal, diode from DTR, lense from Jayrob, Focus adapter from Flaminpyro.

Then / or before do your reading around the forum.

 

[Sonlight City]

Ok, so these are people on this forum? Is there any site that I can go to or do I have to contact them directly? Also, does the intensity of the laser have to do with the diode, lense, or Focus adapter? Or all three?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Soren]

http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/33-reasons-not-buy-wicked-lasers-56289.html

First of all, don't buy from Wicked Lasers.

Secondly, you can buy powers up to around 2400mW online (assuming were talking about 445nm diodes)

Finally, the diode and operating current determine a laser's intensity (power). For brightness, you want a wavelength that's close to the eye's peak sensitivity (555nm).

Read the stickies, use the search bar and enjoy your stay.

 

[Sonlight City]

Fantastic! Thanks! What is the operating current? Sorry, I'm still learning. And which diode will give me the highest intensity of laser? The higher the power/intensity the hotter the beam will be, correct?

 

[Soren]

The optimal current varies depending on what diode you use. Search around for current vs power graphs for your particular diode. The highest power diode that you can really get is the M-140/A-140 445nm diode.

 

[DJNY]

Contact DTR (Send Message - Private Message button) for a 9mm 445nm diode.

You can expect +2W out of these, maybe >2.5W if you´re lucky and you got a suitable host with enough room for heatsinking.

 

[Sonlight City]

Awesome! Thanks guys! Do you know the pricing of DTR's Laser diodes? A highly well reviewed seller on Ebay for $45. Also, does the lense cause the laser to change colors? How do you make sure you have a suitable enough host for heat sinking?

 

[Soren]

Awesome! Thanks guys! Do you know the pricing of DTR's Laser diodes? A highly well reviewed seller on Ebay for $45. Also, does the lense cause the laser to change colors?How do you make sure you have a suitable enough host for heat sinking?

Laser - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do some searching on the forum

 

[Sonlight City]

I may be missing something, but is the module the host? Or is the module the laser as a whole? I'm trying to get together the materials I need, and I know I need a lense, a diode, and a focus adapter. But I need something to house all of that and the battery. Is that the host? Module? Sorry, I've been looking around on the forum, but still can't figure it out. :/

 

[DTR]

See the links in my sig for the diodes/modules/lenses/drivers ect. Also be sure to check out some of the tutorials I have to get a feel for what you will need to do to build your unit. And for the host see this page with suggestions from established members offering host kits and heatsinks.:beer:

https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/host-kits-heatsinks

 

[daawood123]

Host is something that houses the module and battery, and a module is the laser diode and driver together (or something like that) , you don't really need a focus adapter, all it does is make it easier to turn the lens, which focuses/unfocuses the diode. And no, the lens doesnt make it change colour, it just collimates the beam so it is a perfect dot. Each diode can only transmit light of a specific wavelength, meaning 445nm diodes wont suddenly start putting out 650nm. HTH

 

[Sonlight City]

Sweet! Thanks for the info guys! Below I have listed the diode that I have already decided I will probably be getting in order to build the 1w-1.5w laser.

445 M140 1W-1.5W diode (I'm going for heat and power, not for length of beam)

Can anyone give me advice on the other items I will need to complete the laser that will best fit this diode?

Also, why are some diodes that have less mW's more expensive? There was a 500mW diode selling for $90 and a 1W-1.5W (1000mW-1500mW) diode selling for $45.

 

[daawood123]

Sorry for necropost but in answer to your above question because those 500mw diodes are probably single mode, and a rarer wavelength (mits 500 IIRC). For example 50mw~ direct green diodes are like $300.

 

[Lethere Belight]

http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/i-want-build-laser-thread-52972.html

 

[TomD]

The higher the power/intensity the hotter the beam will be, correct?

That will depend on whatever it's going to make final contact with. Some objects' colors absorb particular wavelengths more than others, so you can have a laser that may be higher in intensity than another but generating less heat.

If we are only considering only one wavelength then the answer to your question is... yes.