'Pure Diode' or 'Diode only' Lasers - what does that mean?

[dicky]

Hi guys

I've been looking at pro quality lasers - in Particular I have my eyes set on the brand new Laserworld Pro1600RGB with analog modulation and SD card reader for creating your own shows and will probably get one this week.

I have noticed Laserworld and several others state some lasers as being 'Pure Diode' or 'Diode Only' lasers but I can't seem to find clear info on what this actaully means. All lasers I have looked inside (I have fixed a few, including budget cluster lasers and the 1350mW QTX Mito RGB lasers) have one, two or three laser diodes - depending on how many colours they are (Red Green Blue) so are they not all 'diode only'?

Can one of you gurus clarify this, and why some manufacturers are promoting their 'Pure Diode/Diode Only' lasers as being something better?

Rich

[Nakatomi]

I'd guess that 'diode only' or 'pure diode' means they're using high power diodes as opposed to the kind of yore where they used a tube needing kilovolts to strike it up.

[dicky]

Hmmm thanks for that Justin, yet it seems you know about as much as I do lol - as all the lasers I have seen have LED lasers, not laser tubes etc - are these Laser manufacturers pushing something that means nothing?

And if that is not the case one wonders if it is so obscure why all this thing about Pure Diode and Diode Only when I can't even seem to find out definitively what that actually means?

Rich

[Nakatomi]

From what I've been able to read, yer cheapo DPSL lasers (diode pumped semiconductor laser) use a laser diode which excites a crystal that doubles its output frequency. Passing through the crystal introduces losses, so watt for watt, a ''diode only" laser is going to be brighter.

So. Non 'pure diode' is a laser diode with a crystal to change the wavelength of the light it produces. A 'pure diode' laser is one where there's just a laser diode outputting light at the wavelength required.