Anyone interested in buying 510nm green laser diodes?

[LASER66]

Thorlabs has higher prices than typical retail/ wholesale. It's done due to the nature of their catalog, convenience. This is well know, and I am not knocking them.
I know the owner, and several employees. I started working with them when it was just 15 employees; circa 1992. Now Thorlabs owns about 15 companies!

I have not bought many Nichia diodes for customers, as I don't get much if any discount. They are not set up with a formal distributor network. Everyone must go to Japan, and no diodes stock other than there, except a few places like Thorlabs. See the reason for high prices!

I actually need to check pricing on 488nm for a customer, so if Thorlabs has it for nearly $4K, I'll bet they are about $2K USD.

@ piferal...
The wafers have multiple diodes on them, and all should be the same. Well in the real world, the wavelengths and other parameters are no so fixed. Variations in production make for a bell shaped curve as far as wavelength, operating and threshold current, etc. Since the wafer if sliced, with individual diode chips or dies being cleaved, variations on divergence angles, etc can occur. Then there is the mechanical mounting of the diode on the sub- mount, etc.- all play into variations. So the manufacturer has a batch of diodes with various, but limited output parameters. They sort the diodes into what is called Bins, and you can choose diodes from a number a bins thay may have at any one time. If a trend is seen by a manufacture that a set of clients want higher wavelengths, say 520nm for example, they will act on this. Should they have their 510nm diodes sit and not get back their investment into production? No. They will sell 510 nm diodes, maybe cheaper, and then ask if you want the delux model at 510nm. Hey if you are a customer with big pockets- take to 520nm diodes at a premium price. So bins may also be set up for pricing, customer types, etc.
There are very, very few customer who have diodes made specifically to their own specifications.

thor labs has 488nm

http://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=L488P060MLD
http://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=NDS1113T

and 473nm
http://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=L473P020MLD
Thorlabs.com - NDHA210APAE1 473 nm, 20 mW, Nichia Aqua Laser Diode

 

[jakeGT]

What you see, is exactly the mail who sent to me the contact of Nichia.

It certainly is a peculiar statement, it will be in the wavelengths they work with, or "have", I guess.

It would be too much could make diodes with the desired wavelength for each client

What is certain is that apparently can produce 510-515nm diodes, because he has not said no,
among other wavelengths that are known for us (and perhaps others who do not know )

Lol, I was more joking than anything. I realize they wouldn't make a cuTomer any wavelength they Want

 

[pullbangdead]

Lol, I was more joking than anything. I realize they wouldn't make a cuTomer any wavelength they Want

It's perfectly possible to make a diode with any wavelength within the available range. You can't go any higher than the highest available (something like 520 for Nichia I think) and you can't go any lower than the lowest available (~380 for Nichia I think?), but any wavelength between those values is perfectly possible.

With enough money, or a large enough order, you could probably even get them to make you some at any given wavelength you want.

 

[rhd]

Lol, I was more joking than anything. I realize they wouldn't make a cuTomer any wavelength they Want

It's perfectly possible to make a diode with any wavelength within the available range. You can't go any higher than the highest available (something like 520 for Nichia I think) and you can't go any lower than the lowest available (~380 for Nichia I think?), but any wavelength between those values is perfectly possible.

With enough money, or a large enough order, you could probably even get them to make you some at any given wavelength you want.

I don't think it's that simple.

When I've seen Nichia diodes on wavelength lists, they're still clustered plus and minus a general wavelength that they sell. IE, 488, 488.5, 489, etc. It's not a complete continuum between 380 and 520. There are gaps, even when you're taking into account highly expensive custom binned diodes.

And regarding ANY wavelength being possible, I don't know of any technology to make a 580nm diode, so throwing more money at it might not get you one if the underlying material science research hasn't been done.

 

[pullbangdead]

I don't think it's that simple.

When I've seen Nichia diodes on wavelength lists, they're still clustered plus and minus a general wavelength that they sell. IE, 488, 488.5, 489, etc. It's not a complete continuum between 380 and 520. There are gaps, even when you're taking into account highly expensive custom binned diodes.

And regarding ANY wavelength being possible, I don't know of any technology to make a 580nm diode, so throwing more money at it might not get you one if the underlying material science research hasn't been done.

They're clustered around popular/commercially important wavelengths, ie the ones they make regularly and bin. But any wavelength within the available range is possible. Notice I even said the top of the range is about 520 for Nichia, at least for what they've published, so of course 580 isn't feasible, as I said.

ETA: I see where the miscommunication was. My first paragraph said any wavelength in the range is possible, the second should've said you could possibly get them to make you some at any wavelength within that range. The second paragraph is still subject to the first, sorry that wasn't clear enough.

 

[jakeGT]

I would just like to state.
I told you so, this guy don't have shit.

 

[HIMNL9]

Well, strictly technically speaking p) , ANY wavelenght is possible to obtain in laser form ..... is just the actual technology and, overall, research prices, that make them unavailable for the market.

I mean, staying on the 580nm example ..... i bet that if you throw some million of $ in research, first or after you found a crystal able to lase at this frequency ..... but, realistically, who you think that also just THINK to throw millions of $ in a research that have no commercial use and no pay-back for the investments ?



EDIT: i just realized that, if there's a possibility to have these researches made, is only in universities ..... i mean, half of the research made in universities labs are mainly for knowledge and study, not entirely commercial, so, maybe we can expect some results more from them, than from commercial manufacturers

(BTW, anyone here that study in an university, and that want to base his final thesis about the possibility to obtain 580nm solid state lasers ? ..... )

 

[Elektrotechniker]

(BTW, anyone here that study in an university, and that want to base his final thesis about the possibility to obtain 580nm solid state lasers ? ..... )

I cant promise you anything but I know a teacher in the university where Im going to study who is well known for his laser research. In some years, I might... Nvm I dont think it will ever happen