How to get unkown laser diode to operate

[AquaticHarpy]

It died at 80ma, no longer pulling amperage. At 50ma it started dimming on camera

 

[FireMyLaser]

Then you now have an idea of what to make of these diodes.

 

[WizardG]

They sound like diodes for CD players.

 

[AquaticHarpy]

Well, any ideas what I can do with these lasera

 

[FireMyLaser]

IR illumination or data transfer. Not burning or even a beam, unless you can remove the plastic enclosure and fit the diode in a proper housing.

 

[AquaticHarpy]

Fun...

 

[AquaticHarpy]

It likes .4ma best for infrared. Past 24ma I lose infrared and just get red

 

[FireMyLaser]

You confuse the colour with brightness before and after threshold. The real colour does not change. It is IR (or near IR).

 

[AquaticHarpy]

Well, I have 47 of these now.. I might go back to playing with my 405nm 1.5w now

 

[AquaticHarpy]

The threshold is .4ma, after that it dims on my ir sensor and becomes a visible red

 

[FireMyLaser]

I have no good explanation for that behaviour. But it's likely above 700nm IR.

Otherwise it must have two dies and you somehow power both at the same time.

 

[AquaticHarpy]

Could it just be a well built diode? This was a custom lot of 54 from a lab somewhere, maybe after pushing it so far it changes somehow

 

[FireMyLaser]

My personal opinion is that you still only get one wavelength, just a jump in brightness. 0.4mA is extremely low threshold. I think 24mA is the actual threshold.

 

[AquaticHarpy]

24ma is the jump where my ir camera no longer picks it up. 3-4 is the jump of large brightness

 

[FireMyLaser]

If you feel sure that it change colour, then verify that the pinout can produce light in more than one way. You have six possible combinations, maybe you use one that's not the intended one.

 

[AquaticHarpy]

Ill try