It's no secret that each of us as a child wanted to have a device like a laser machine that could cut metal seals and burn through walls. IN modern world this dream can easily come true, since it is now possible to build a laser with the ability to cut various materials.
Of course, at home it is impossible to make a laser machine so powerful that it will cut through iron or wood. But with the help homemade device Can cut paper, polyethylene seal or thin plastic.
Using a laser device, you can burn various patterns on sheets of plywood or wood. It can be used to illuminate objects located in remote areas. The scope of its application can be both entertaining and useful in construction and installation work, not to mention the realization of creative potential in the field of engraving on wood or plexiglass.
Cutting laser
Tools and accessories you will need to make your own laser:
Figure 1. Laser LED circuit diagram.
- faulty DVD-RW drive with a working laser diode;
- laser pointer or portable collimator;
- soldering iron and small wires;
- 1 Ohm resistor (2 pcs.);
- capacitors 0.1 µF and 100 µF;
- AAA batteries (3 pcs.);
- small tools such as a screwdriver, knife and file.
These materials will be quite sufficient for the upcoming work.
So, for a laser device, first of all, you need to select a DVD-RW drive with a mechanical breakdown, since the optical diodes must be in good condition. If you do not have a worn-out drive, you will have to purchase it from people who sell it for spare parts.
When purchasing, keep in mind that most drives are from manufacturer Samsung are unsuitable for the manufacture of cutting lasers. The fact is that this company produces DVD drives with diodes that are not protected from external influences. The lack of a special housing means that the laser diode is subject to thermal stress and contamination. It can be damaged with a light touch of your hand.
Figure 2. Laser from a DVD-RW drive.
The best option for a laser would be a drive from the manufacturer LG. Each model is equipped with a crystal with varying degrees of power. This indicator is determined by the writing speed of dual-layer DVDs. It is extremely important that the drive is a recording drive, since it contains an infrared emitter, which is needed to make a laser. A regular one will not work, since it is intended only for reading information.
DVD-RW with a 16X recording speed is equipped with a red crystal with a power of 180-200 mW. The 20X speed drive contains a 250-270 mW diode. High-speed recording devices of the 22X type are equipped with laser optics, the power of which reaches 300 mW.
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Disassembling the DVD-RW drive
This process must be done with great care, since the internal parts are fragile and can be easily damaged. Having dismantled the case, you will immediately notice the necessary part; it looks like a small piece of glass located inside the mobile carriage. Its base needs to be removed; it is shown in Fig. 1. This element contains an optical lens and two diodes.
At this stage, you should immediately warn that the laser beam is extremely dangerous to human vision.
If it hits the lens directly, it damages the nerve endings and the person may remain blind.
The laser beam is blinding even at a distance of 100 m, so it is important to watch where you point it. Remember that you are responsible for the health of others while such a device is in your hands!
Figure 3. LM-317 chip.
Before you begin, you need to know that the laser diode can be damaged not only by careless handling, but also by voltage surges. This can happen in a matter of seconds, which is why diodes operate based on a constant source of electricity. When the voltage increases, the LED in the device exceeds its brightness standard, as a result of which the resonator is destroyed. Thus, the diode loses its ability to heat, it becomes an ordinary flashlight.
The crystal is also affected by the temperature around it; as it drops, the laser performance increases at a constant voltage. If it exceeds the standard norm, the resonator is destroyed according to a similar principle. Less commonly, the diode is damaged by sudden changes, which are caused by frequent switching on and off of the device over a short period.
After removing the crystal, you must immediately tie up its ends with exposed wires. This is necessary to create a connection between its voltage outputs. To these outputs you need to solder a small capacitor of 0.1 µF with negative polarity and 100 µF with positive polarity. After this procedure, you can remove the wound wires. This will help protect the laser diode from transients and static electricity.
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Nutrition
Before creating a battery for the diode, it is necessary to take into account that it must be powered from 3V and consumes up to 200-400 mA, depending on the speed of the recording device. You should avoid connecting the crystal directly to batteries as this is not a simple lamp. It can deteriorate even under the influence of ordinary batteries. The laser diode is a self-contained element that is supplied with electricity through a regulating resistor.
The power supply system can be configured in three ways with varying degrees of complexity. Each of them requires recharge from a constant voltage source (batteries).
The first method involves electrical regulation using a resistor. Internal resistance The device is measured by detecting the voltage as it passes through the diode. For drives with a 16X write speed, 200 mA will be sufficient. If this indicator increases, there is a chance of damaging the crystal, so you should stick to maximum value at 300 mA. It is recommended to use a telephone battery or AAA batteries as a power source.
The advantages of this power supply are simplicity and reliability. Among the disadvantages are the discomfort when regularly recharging the battery from the phone and the difficulty of placing batteries in the device. In addition, it is difficult to determine the right moment to recharge the power source.
Figure 4. LM-2621 chip.
If you use three AA batteries, this circuit can be easily installed in a Chinese-made laser pointer. The finished design is shown in Fig. 2, two 1 Ohm resistors in sequence and two capacitors.
For the second method, the LM-317 chip is used. This method of arranging a power system is much more complicated than the previous one; it is more suitable for a stationary type laser installations. The circuit is based on the manufacture of a special driver, which is a small board. It is designed to limit the electric current and create the necessary power.
The connection circuit of the LM-317 microcircuit is shown in Fig. 3. It will require elements such as a 100 ohm variable resistor, 2 10 ohm resistors, a 1H4001 series diode and a 100 μF capacitor.
A driver based on this circuit maintains electrical power (7V) regardless of the power source and ambient temperature. Despite the complexity of the device, this circuit is considered the simplest for assembly at home.
The third method is the most portable, making it the most preferred of all. It provides power from two AAA batteries, maintaining a constant voltage level supplied to the laser diode. The system maintains power even when the battery level is low.
When the battery is completely discharged, the circuit will stop functioning, and a small voltage will pass through the diode, which will be characterized by a weak glow of the laser beam. This type of power supply is the most economical, its efficiency factor is 90%.
To implement such a power system, you will need an LM-2621 chip, which is housed in a 3x3 mm package. Therefore, you may encounter certain difficulties during the period of soldering parts. The final size of the board depends on your skills and dexterity, since the parts can be placed even on a 2x2 cm board. The finished board is shown in Fig. 4.
The choke can be taken from a regular power supply for a desktop computer. A wire with a cross-section of 0.5 mm is wound onto it with a number of turns of up to 15 turns, as shown in the figure. The throttle diameter from the inside will be 2.5 mm.
Any Schottky diode with a value of 3 A is suitable for the board. For example, 1N5821, SB360, SR360 and MBRS340T3. The power supplied to the diode is adjusted by a resistor. During the setup process, it is recommended to connect it to a 100 Ohm variable resistor. When testing functionality, it is best to use a worn or unwanted laser diode. The current power indicator remains the same as in the previous diagram.
Once you find the most suitable method, you can upgrade it if you have the necessary skills for this. The laser diode must be placed on a miniature heatsink so that it does not overheat when the voltage increases. After completing the assembly of the power system, you need to take care of installing the optical glass.
This is a portable device that contains an emitter that generates coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic waves in the visible range in the form of a beam. A laser diode (the design is much simpler) or a full-fledged solid-state laser (the design is more complex) can be used as an emitter.
There are several types of laser pointers, which differ in color and, accordingly, in the type of emitter:
- Reds
- Greens
- Blue
- Turquoise
- Blue
- Purple
- Yellow
- Orange
How does a laser pointer work?
Red laser pointers
The cheapest and therefore the most common. They operate on a regular button cell battery. This pointer operates on the basis of a red laser diode, the emission spectrum of which is 650-660 nm. In addition to the diode, the pointer has a driver board that controls the power. In order for the radiation to propagate in the form of a narrowly directed beam, a lens that is convex on both sides (or flat-convex, with the flat side facing the diode) is used. This lens is called a collimator.
The power of red laser pointers is usually small and for most examples found on sale is 1-100 mW. An unpleasant feature of pointers based on red laser diodes is that these diodes quickly “burn out,” which leads to a decrease in radiation intensity. Therefore, any pointer of this type, after several months of use, shines much worse than a new one, regardless of the battery charge.
Green laser pointers
During the daytime, the human eye is much more sensitive to green than to red (about 6-10 times). Therefore, green pointers shine much brighter. True, at night this ratio changes and here green pointers do not have such an advantage in laser brightness over red ones.
Since green laser diodes are very expensive, diode-stuffed solid-state lasers (DPSS) are used to create green laser pointers. They are cheaper than green laser diodes, although more expensive than red ones. The wavelength of the green laser pointer is 532 nm, the efficiency is approximately 20% (higher than that of the red one). Green pointers are more energy-consuming than their red relatives. Therefore, it is quite difficult to buy a similar unit powered by a button battery.
Blue laser pointers
They have been produced not so long ago (since 2006), the operating principle is similar to green ones. Wavelengths are 473 nm for turquoise, 445 for blue. There are also blue pointers with a wavelength of 490 nm. Just like the green ones, a solid-state laser is used as an emitter, although there are models with blue laser diodes (445 nm). Blue lasers are very expensive, diodes are cheaper, but they are not yet widespread. The radiation from blue laser pointers is very dangerous to the eyes, so you must take precautions when working with them. The efficiency is low and is approximately 3%. 
Yellow laser pointers
The wavelength of the yellow pointers is 593.5 nm. There are also their orange “brothers” with a radiation wavelength of 635 nm. In terms of its effect on the human eye, yellow is close to red, i.e. much safer than blue and green. The efficiency of yellow pointers is very low and barely exceeds 1%.
Purple laser pointers
These pointers use violet laser diodes with a wavelength of 400-410 nm. These numbers are near the limit of the range perceived by the human eye, so the light from the purple pointer appears quite dim. However, you should not shine a purple pointer (or any other) into your eyes, as this is harmful to them in any way.
The light from a purple pointer can cause fluorescence, during which the brightness of luminous objects is much higher than that of the laser itself. Serial production of laser pointers began after the advent of Blu-ray optical media drives, since they used laser diodes with a radiation wavelength of 405 nm.
Laser pointer device, video
Making a powerful burning laser with your own hands is not a difficult task, however, in addition to the ability to use a soldering iron, you will need to be attentive and careful in your approach. It’s worth noting right away that deep knowledge from the field of electrical engineering is not needed here, and you can make a device even at home. The main thing when working is to take precautions, since exposure to a laser beam is harmful to the eyes and skin.
A laser is a dangerous toy that can cause harm to health if used carelessly. Do not point the laser at people or animals!
What will you need?
Any laser can be divided into several components:
- light flux emitter;
- optics;
- power supply;
- current supply stabilizer (driver).
To make a powerful homemade laser, you will need to consider all these components separately. The most practical and easiest to assemble is a laser based on a laser diode, which we will consider in this article.
Where can I get a diode for a laser?
The working element of any laser is a laser diode. You can buy it at almost any radio store, or get it from a non-working CD drive. The fact is that drive inoperability is rarely associated with failure of the laser diode. If you have a broken drive, you can extra costs get the required element. But you need to take into account that its type and properties depend on the modification of the drive.
The weakest laser, operating in the infrared range, is installed in CD-ROM drives. Its power is only enough to read CDs, and the beam is almost invisible and is not capable of burning objects. The CD-RW has a built-in more powerful laser diode, suitable for burning and designed for the same wavelength. It is considered the most dangerous, as it emits a beam in a zone of the spectrum invisible to the eye.
The DVD-ROM drive is equipped with two weak laser diodes, the energy of which is only sufficient for reading CDs and DVD discs. The DVD-RW burner contains a high-power red laser. Its beam is visible in any light and can easily ignite certain objects.
The BD-ROM contains a violet or blue laser, which is similar in parameters to the analogue from the DVD-ROM. From BD-RE writers you can get the most powerful laser diode with a beautiful violet or blue beam capable of burning. However, finding such a drive for disassembly is quite difficult, and a working device is expensive.
The most suitable one is a laser diode taken from a DVD-RW drive. The highest quality laser diodes are installed in LG, Sony and Samsung drives.
The higher the recording speed DVD drive, the more powerful the laser diode installed in it.
Drive disassembly
Having the drive in front of you, first remove the top cover by unscrewing 4 screws. Then remove the movable mechanism, which is located in the center and connected to printed circuit board flexible cable. The next goal is a laser diode, securely pressed into a radiator made of aluminum or duralumin alloy. It is recommended to provide protection against static electricity before dismantling it. To do this, the leads of the laser diode are soldered or wrapped with thin copper wire.
Next, there are two possible options. The first involves operating a finished laser in the form of a stationary installation together with a standard radiator. The second option is to assemble the device in the body of a portable flashlight or laser pointer. In this case, you will have to apply force to cut through or saw the radiator without damaging the radiating element.
Driver
Laser power supply must be handled responsibly. As with LEDs, it must be a stabilized current source. On the Internet there are many circuits powered by a battery or accumulator through a limiting resistor. The sufficiency of this solution is questionable, since the voltage on the battery or battery changes depending on the charge level. Accordingly, the current flowing through the laser emitting diode will deviate greatly from the nominal value. As a result, the device will not work efficiently at low currents, and at high currents it will lead to a rapid decrease in the intensity of its radiation.
The best option is to use a simple current stabilizer built on the basis. This microcircuit belongs to the category of universal integrated stabilizers with the ability to independently set the output current and voltage. The microcircuit operates in a wide range of input voltages: from 3 to 40 volts.
An analogue of LM317 is the domestic chip KR142EN12.
For the first laboratory experiment, the diagram below is suitable. The only resistor in the circuit is calculated using the formula: R=I/1.25, where I is the rated laser current (reference value).
Sometimes a polar capacitor of 2200 μFx16 V and a non-polar capacitor of 0.1 μF are installed at the output of the stabilizer in parallel with the diode. Their participation is justified in the case of supplying voltage to the input from a stationary power supply, which can miss an insignificant alternating component and impulse noise. One of these circuits, powered by a Krona battery or a small battery, is presented below. 
The diagram shows the approximate value of resistor R1. To accurately calculate it, you must use the above formula.
Having collected electrical diagram, you can make a preliminary switching on and, as proof of the circuit’s operability, observe the bright red scattered light of the emitting diode. Having measured its actual current and body temperature, it is worth thinking about the need to install a radiator. If the laser will be used in a permanent installation on high currents long time, then it is necessary to provide passive cooling. Now there is very little left to achieve the goal: focus and get a narrow beam of high power.
Optics
In scientific terms, it's time to build a simple collimator, a device for producing beams of parallel light rays. The ideal option for this purpose would be a standard lens taken from the drive. With its help you can obtain a fairly thin laser beam with a diameter of about 1 mm. The amount of energy of such a beam is enough to burn through paper, fabric and cardboard in a matter of seconds, melt plastic and burn through wood. If you focus a thinner beam, this laser can cut plywood and plexiglass. But setting up and securely attaching the lens to the drive is quite difficult due to its small focal length.
It is much easier to build a collimator based on a laser pointer. In addition, its case can accommodate a driver and a small battery. The output will be a beam with a diameter of about 1.5 mm and a smaller burning effect. In foggy weather or heavy snowfall, you can observe incredible light effects by directing the light stream into the sky.
Through the online store you can purchase a ready-made collimator, specifically designed for mounting and tuning a laser. Its body will serve as a radiator. Knowing the sizes of everyone components devices, you can buy a cheap one led flashlight and use its body.
In conclusion, I would like to add a few phrases about the dangers of laser radiation. First, never point the laser beam into the eyes of people or animals. This leads to serious visual impairment. Secondly, wear green glasses when experimenting with the red laser. They block most of the red portion of the spectrum from passing through. The amount of light transmitted through the glasses depends on the wavelength of the radiation. Looking from the side at the laser beam without protective equipment is allowed only for a short time. Otherwise, eye pain may occur.
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Laser pointer is fashionable modern gadget XXI century!
Options for using a laser pointer in everyday life a lot:
- A laser pointer is an inexpensive, portable laser that is similar in appearance and size to a regular pen. It is superior to older pointing devices because only a laser pointer can be used over a distance of several hundred meters, producing a bright spot of light that is very visible to the human eye.
- Laser pointers are widely used in offices for various meetings. Now the presenter does not have to get up and go to the board on which the slides are displayed.
- In some schools, teachers use laser pointers instead of regular wooden ones.
- In many institutes, teachers use only laser pointers during lectures, because the board at the institute is much larger than at school.
- In planetariums, green laser pointers have long been used so that even a person not versed in astronomy can show any star and constellation.
- Laser pointers are commonly used in educational settings and business presentations instead of regular pointers. Red laser pointers can be used indoors and outdoors in the evening. Green laser pointers can be used in the same conditions, but green laser pointers, unlike red ones, are clearly visible on the street during the day and at long distances.
- The spot of light produced by a laser pointer attracts cats (and dogs), causing a strong desire to catch it, which is often used by people in games with these pets.
- Green laser pointers can be used for amateur astronomy. On a moonless night, the beam of a green laser pointer can be used to point to stars and constellations.
- A precisely positioned laser pointer can be used as a laser sight to aim firearms or air guns.
- Laser pointers are used in their designs by radio amateurs as an element of communication within visual range.
- A pointer with the collimator removed is used in home holography. This is the only known use of a laser in everyday life, where the most valuable property of a laser is used, which fundamentally distinguishes it from an LED - the monochromaticity of the radiation.
- Psychologists have long proven the influence of a color stimulus on decision making; it is the green color that will create calm and harmony. Your presentations will be more impactful and effective, and you will easily outperform your competitors.
- This convenient and elegant item in a beautiful case can also be a good gift for your loved ones or partners. The compact laser pointer consumes very little battery power and has long term service 3000-5000 hours.
As we see nowadays, laser pointers are used everywhere.
The most frequently asked questions and detailed, accurate answers to them:
Question : Tell me, how much does the brightness of a laser pointer beam depend on its power?
Answer : A beam with a power of up to 20-30 mW is quite poorly visible even at night, but from 50 mW the situation changes dramatically and further increase in power no longer gives such stunning indicators. Those. if you had a 5 mW pointer and you changed it to 50 mW, then your joy and surprise will be much greater than if you change the 50 mW to 200 mW. And although the brightness of the beam of 50 mW and 200 mW is not so different, in terms of its burning, incendiary and other similar abilities, 200 mW should not be compared with a 50 milliwatt pointer.
Question : Tell me how much the power of the pointers written on them matches real situation business?
Answer : It often happens that the pointer says 200 mW, but when measuring the power it turns out that it somehow produces 100. Such situations happen quite often. The Chinese are very fond of gluing stickers with a power that is obviously higher than it actually is. Moreover, it is very difficult to distinguish the power of 200mw from 100mw with the naked eye and is only possible if you place two pointers next to each other - 200 and 100 mW. If you just turn on a pointer with a power of 50 mW, give it to a person and say that this pointer has a power of 100 mW - everyone will believe it. Here you need to rely on experience.
Question : There are many stores online that sell these pointers. How are they different from yours? And why are your prices suspiciously cheaper than others?
Answer : When in any store they tell you - “Our laser pointers are the best!” - don’t believe this because in China (where these pointers come from), the laser diodes that are used in these pointers are manufactured at one plant . And all manufacturers of laser pointers (and there are a lot of companies selling them in China) buy these diodes for their products from one manufacturer, and metal cases are not particularly important in these devices. Therefore, our pointers are no better or worse than those in other stores. Absolutely the same.All pointers are the same! Regarding the price, selling laser pointers is not our priority, so we do not set ourselves the goal of making as much money as possible from these laser pointers.
Question : Tell me, is the beam of your green lasers completely visible or just a point?
Answer : During the day, the beam is completely invisible from any pointer! Only a point is visible, the brightness of which, however, depends entirely on the power of the laser diode. But with the onset of twilight, everything depends on the power of the pointer. The greater the laser power, the earlier in the day you will be able to enjoy this spectacle - a bright, juicy beam. Starting with a power of 50 mW, the beam from the pointers will be visible already in the early twilight, and in the dark it will appear as a thick green rope and plow the sky over a radius of several thousand meters. At a power of 150-200 mW, the beam will hit distant clouds, and from 300 mW it will travel many tens of kilometers.
Question : What is the continuous operation time of the laser? Well, that is. Here you press the button and the light shines.
Answer : Firstly, it all depends on the power of the laser pointer, and secondly on the type of batteries or accumulators used. Thirdly, in any case, the manufacturer does not recommend using the pointer continuously for more than 2 minutes, because the laser diode gets very hot during operation and this deteriorates its characteristics, and fourthly, the current flowing through the diode is quite large, and therefore the battery will discharge very quickly soon if you shine your pointer continuously. The recommended operating mode is as follows: We shine for 30 seconds - rest for 20 seconds. or we shine for 20 seconds - rest for 7-10 seconds, so that during this time the diode can cool down and the battery can restore its performance characteristics. In the mode, we light for 5-6 seconds and then rest for 1-2 seconds - continuous operation until the battery is completely discharged. It is this mode that will be the most interesting and optimal for you.
Question : At what power do the “burning” and “incendiary” abilities begin?
Answer : Pointers with a power of up to 100 mW do not burn or set anything on fire. In reality, these properties appear on laser pointers with a power of 200 mW or more. But keep in mind that the further the distance to the object, the weaker these properties are. A green laser from 300 mW, and a violet laser from 200 mW, already fully burn and set fire to dark and red objects. Keep in mind that you will not set white objects on fire with any laser pointer! The white color reflects the laser beam and you will not get anything other than a bright light spot.
Question : How much pointer power is required for wood burning?
Answer : If the tree is painted black, red (or a very dark color), then with a power of 200 mW you will already be able to burn through the tree, and from 300-400 mW the smoke will come out immediately as soon as you start shining the light on the piece of wood.
Laser pointers are portable devices that contain emitters that generate waves of electromagnetic coherent and monochromatic origin in the visible range in beam form. The emitters can be laser diodes or full-fledged solid-state lasers.
There are several types of laser pointers, which differ in the types of emitters and come in the following colors:
- Reds;
- Greens;
- Blue;
- Turquoise;
- Blue;
- Violet;
- Yellow;
- Orange.
LU red color
These LUs are the cheapest and most common. They operate from a conventional button cell battery, based on red laser diodes with a radiation spectrum of 650-660 nm. They are equipped with driver boards that control power. To emit radiation in the form of a narrow beam, lenses convex on both sides, called collimators, are used.
Red LUs are mostly low-power up to 1-100 mW. Their characteristic feature is that the red diodes “burn out” quite quickly, reducing the intensity of the radiation, which is why most of these pointers, after a couple of months of operation, begin to shine worse, regardless of the battery charge.
Green laser
During the day, the human eye is more sensitive to green flowers than to red ones (about 6-10 times). Thanks to this, green laser shines more brightly. However, at night the opposite happens.
Green laser diodes are extremely expensive, so solid-state lasers with diodes are used to create green laser. They are not as expensive as green laser diodes, but more valuable than red ones. Green laser wavelength is 532 nm, with an efficiency of approximately 20%. Green LUs are more energy-consuming than red ones; as a result, it is difficult to select units powered by button batteries.
LU blue color
They began to be produced in 2006, the action scheme is similar to green laser. The wavelength of blue is 490 nm, turquoise is 473 nm, and blue is 445 nm. The emitter is a solid-state high-power laser. Blue LUs are very expensive, diodes are not so expensive, but are not widely used. Blue LU radiation is extremely dangerous for the eyes. Efficiency approximately 3%.
LU yellow color
The wavelength of yellow LUs is 593.5 nm. There are also their orange “colleagues” with a wavelength of 635 nm. Efficiency is just over 1%.
LU purple color
LUs with violet laser diodes have a wavelength of 400-410 nm. This is almost the limit in the range that the human eye perceives, so this light is seen as dim.
The light from violet lasers causes fluorescence, and the brightness of luminous objects becomes more intense than in the laser itself. The LU series began with the advent of the drive for optical media Blu-ray, in which a laser diode with a wavelength of the corresponding radiation was used.
LU: application
- LUs are often used educational institutions, for example for physical experiments, as well as for presentations;
- The point of light produced by the laser beam attracts the attention of pets. Cats and dogs react especially to them, which often leads people to play with these pets;
- Green LUs are used in both amateur and professional astronomical research. Green LUs are used to determine the directions of stars and constellations;
- LUs are used as laser target designators for precise aiming of firearms or pneumatic weapons;
- LUs are used by radio amateurs as a communication element within visible boundaries;
- Red LUs with disconnected collimators are used when creating amateur holographs;
- Laboratory practice uses LUs (especially green ones) to detect in liquids, gases or any transparent substances in small quantities impurities or suspensions of mechanical origin that are invisible to the naked eye.
Laser Safety
Laser radiation is dangerous if it comes into contact with the eyes.
Ordinary LUs have a power of 1-5 mW, they are classified as hazard classes 2-3A. They can be dangerous when the beam is directed into people's eyes for fairly long periods or using optical instruments. LUs with a power of 50-300 mW are classified as class 3B. They are dangerous because they cause severe damage to the retina of the eyes, even with short-term exposure to a direct laser beam.
You should be aware that low power green DPSS pointers use significantly high power IR lasers which do not guarantee sufficient IR filtering. These types of radiation are invisible and, as a result, much more dangerous to the eyes of people and animals.
In addition, LUs can have extremely irritating effects. Especially if the beam hits the eyes of drivers or pilots, which can distract their attention or even lead to blindness. In some countries, such acts entail criminal liability. For example, in 2019, one American was sentenced to almost two years in prison for briefly blinding a pilot in a police helicopter with a powerful laser.
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of “laser incidents” in developed countries, caused by requirements to limit or prohibit drug use. Currently, New South Wales legislation provides for a fine for possession of medicinal drugs, and for committing a “laser attack” - imprisonment for up to 14 years.
The use of LU is prohibited according to the rules during football matches. For example, the Algerian Football Federation was fined 50,000 Swiss francs because fans used a laser pointer to blind the Russian national team goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev during the 2014 World Cup.
The most powerful laser pointer
Not long ago it became known about the appearance of the most powerful pocket laser, the “king” of the LU or the “Jedi sword”. The small, powerful laser can burn through thin plastics, explode children's balloons, set paper on fire, and blind people. The device from the Chinese manufacturer Wicked Lasers only superficially resembles popular LUs, but has a larger body.
Often, a laser pointer with a tiny cylinder that emits a red laser beam is used by children for games or for presentations at school. However, Wicked Lasers' new generation pointer will not be a toy for children. And this is no coincidence, because the output power of a Chinese laser pointer is tens and hundreds of times greater than that of conventional inexpensive laser pointers.
It is surprising that the Chinese “green supermodel” with a beam power of 0.3 watts reaches an “exposure range” of up to 193 kilometers.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
