New O-Like 150mW Laser Diode? Who Makes this?

[RDTech]

Photo attached shows the business end of a new O-Like 150mW BR laser pointer. Nice unit, chrome colored. I'm more interested in the laser diode within. I am not ready to take it apart. Anyone know who makes this oval laser diode?View attachment 26389

 

[TheTeslaWarrior]

hmm never seen that before interesting
:thinking:

 

[Meatball]

Is that diode multi-mode? I have not seen any short wavelength multi-modes before though. The top part of the module mount on the diode looks to be flattened as well...

 

[RDTech]

I have searched all online suppliers of Blue-violet diodes and show no signs of this laser. I have not looked at SDL or coherent. Nichia always has engineering devices...Still someone may know and maybe they will work well. Be great to see specifications.

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

I have the 10mW version of that pointer. It has a regular round-can diode, not that rectangular window one. I am starting to think that the round-can diode is a Nichia, but only because of this one sentence I found in Sam's Laser FAQ. Context: The narrator was testing a bunch of Nichia NLHV500B/C 5 mW violet laser diodes. One noted comment was this gem:

The beam pattern looks pretty much like that of any other typical laser diode - spread out in the fast-axis, relatively narrow in the slow-axis. But it appears to have numerous striations which I don't believe are due to damage or dirt since they are very fine - almost like speckle but only in the fast-axis direction - and are similar on all the diodes that actually lased. There is also a lot of off axis scatter that I've heard is normal for Nichia diodes.

http://puccini.chimica.uniba.it/didattica/corsi/laser/sam-laser-faq/laserdio.htm#diodct

My diode exhibits these same striations, at the far edges of the fast-axis there are striped fringes tangent to the center.

Physically, I haven't seen the barcode, but the front window is probably AR-coated for 405nm, as it reflects as a brownish-yellow mirror, same as the lens that came with this 10mW pointer.

I know this isn't helpful at all for finding out who makes the 150mW oval can, but it's something.

 

[RDTech]

Yes, with lens removed, my laser exhibits the same striations and aberrations of the beam on FAST axis only. Maybe these are Nichia B grade diodes, no idea. I really would like to see the specs on the diode.

 

[pullbangdead]

Cusious...how is the far-field oriented with respect to the oblong can?

Ie, is the wide direction in the far field parallel to the long direction of the can, or is it perpendicular to the oblong can?

 

[RDTech]

It seems to be perpendicular, It is a very off pattern consisting of circular aberration and fringes. I'll try to take some photos...

View attachment 26412

 

[RDTech]

I found some photos of far field patterns of SONY Laser diodes...

Looks oddly similar to me.
View attachment 26413

 

[pullbangdead]

If the long axis is indeed perpendicular to the long direction of the oblong can, you may just be getting some aperture interference effects from the fact that the fast-diverging axis is going through the narrow direction of the aperture. No idea really, but just guessing as far as why there may be some interference, and it does seem that putting the narrow width of the can in the direction of the fast-diverging axis would mess up the far field at least a little.

Not sure on the design decisions of these diodes, unless the packaging was designed to go into some sort of more size-sensitive applications, maybe laptops?

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

They have ~3.6mm cans for those sorts of applications, I'd assume they could drop a violet laser die in that package. The gold-plated "slug" is still the same 5.6mm size, isn't it?

I'm amazed at how many lines and striations are in those beamshots! Whatever is in the lower-powered ones is much smoother, with only the striations on the wide axis. Mine are like ))) -=o=- ((( though...

Hmm, time to go searching for a diode beamshot thread