New Record - 499.8nm CW

[Benm]

That might not be -that- far away.

I remember green being the absolute quantum limit that could be achieved with LED's, and blue leds being laboratory curiousa costing at least thousands, not unlike the 500 nm laser diodes right now.

It took 20 odd years from the first blue leds appearing in research to their general application in all sorts of consumer goods - if lasers fare the same, we should be expecting the first green and true blue diodes hitting the market within a decade.

 

[ElektroFreak]

IIRC the blu-ray diode was first successfully operated in the late 90s, so a decade seems about right.. maybe a little less if we're lucky.

 

[nikokapo]

I remember green being the absolute quantum limit that could be achieved with LED's, and blue leds being laboratory curiousa costing at least thousands

Really? COOL! I didn't know that!
I thought different coloured LEDs were created around the same time the LED was discovered and massively produced.

 

[Benm]

No, not at all. The red leds were available the first, commercialized somewhere in the 70s i think. Red and green leds got into general service during the 80s, and blue/white and uv leds are a 90s product.

Infrared leds were there before the red ones too, but the effect has been known (and forgotten about) since early in the 20th century.

 

[diachi]

Interesting stuff - i wonder how long it will take for these things to be commercialized. Perhaps we'll look at the current dpss lasers as awkward complex things in a decade?

I think in 10 years time, we will look at DPSS in the same way we do now. We will think " What a complex and ineficient way to get laser light " But we will also think " Although it's ineficient the beam specs beat diode by miles "

We also have more developments in OPSL to come, and THAT will be truely amazing. Not that green diodes won't be

-Adam

 

[diachi]

IIRC the blu-ray diode was first successfully operated in the late 90s, so a decade seems about right.. maybe a little less if we're lucky.

IIRC sony made green laser diodes in the 90s, but they were really week and had short lifespans , then the whole project was scrapped.


( Sorry for the double post )

-Adam

 

[Chicxulub]

Great post. I can't wait until the distant future day comes when I can get true yellow (585nm) and deep, royal blue (435nm) lasers.