Page 186 - High Power Laser Handbook

154 Diode Lasers High-Power Diode Laser Arrays 155

Wavelength Application Market
980 ± 10 Dental, Prostate treatment Medical
Materials
processing
1064 Hair removal, Tattoo removal Medical
1330–1380 Medical Medical
1450–1470 Acne treatment, Turbulence Medical
detection, Er pumping
3+
1530, 1700 Medical Medical
Rangefinder, Missile defense Defense
1850–2200 Surgical, Ho : Pumping, Avionics
3+
Turbulence detection, Plastic DPSSL; Medical
welding/marking
Materials processing

Table 6.3 (Continued)

Figure 6.21 Multikilowatt diode-pumped disk laser: homogenized pump
source (left) and laser cavity (right).

The development of high-brightness diode laser devices has also
opened new markets for direct-diode industrial applications, as the
power and beam quality of diode laser systems are matching the val-
ues of earlier-generation lamp-pumped solid-state lasers with a ten-
fold improvement in wall-plug efficiency.
Laser Welding
Joints that are produced through laser welding are characterized by
high welding speed, high levels of stability, and very low distortion
(Fig. 6.22). At the same time, excellent weld seam surfaces can be
obtained. An almost maintenance-free operation, a lifetime of more
than 30,000 operating hours, and the best efficiency of all lasers make
the diode laser superior in the welding of thin sheet metals. As a
comparison, lamp-pumped Nd:YAG lasers require a lamp change