Question on Laser Efficiency & Color

[cuervo]

I may be wrong, but it seems as though the green lasers are very inefficient due to all the conversions involved, at least compared to other lasers where there is an actual laser diode.

Yet, it seems that most of the lasers being sold for match lighting and balloon popping are green lasers.

How much of this is just the "wow" factor of being able to see the beam in the room while you're doing the cutting or match lighting? Wouldn't it be easier to produce an efficient 250mW red or IR laser than a 100mW green, thereby being able to do more with the laser itself? Granted, you wouldn't be able to make a Youtube video to impress the world, but you would have a better laser for the "job" at hand.

 

[2xTrinity]

How much of this is just the "wow" factor of being able to see the beam in the room while you're doing the cutting or match lighting? Wouldn't it be easier to produce an efficient 250mW red or IR laser than a 100mW green, thereby being able to do more with the laser itself? Granted, you wouldn't be able to make a Youtube video to impress the world, but you would have a better laser for the "job" at hand.

The only laser I've seen pop balloons etc. in person actually are high-powered red. If you want to burn things, you're right, get the wavelength with the highest radiant efficiency (red).

I do think there's an advantage in the low-powered green though (<5mw) if you want the ability to have a brighter spot for pointing (since green is more sensitive to the eyes) without the extra hazard a higher-powered laser (you'd probably need at least a 20mW red to match the brightness of a <5mW green). That and I know a lot of people simply prefer the color of green in low-power pointers as it's more distinctive. Also, if you want a visible beam for starpointing, green, since it's a shorter wavelength, seems to be scattered more by moisture and dust particles in the air than my red lasers.

When we start to see high powered blue lasers though come on the market, those might be really good for starpointing as the blue should scatter even more in the atmosphere, and even though the eye isn't as sensitive to blue, you get some efficiency back by going to a direct diode. However, I bet the shorter wavelength probably presents much more of an eye hazard than green or red (If the next gen of optical discs goes into UV territory those could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands).