Helium-Neon Laser
The helium gas in the laser tube provides the pumping medium to attain the necessary population inversion for laser action.
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Carbon Dioxide LaserThe carbon dioxide gas laser is capable of continuous output powers above 10 kilowatts. It is also capable of extremely high power pulse operatin. It exhibits laser action at several infrared frequencies but none in the visible. Operating in a manner similar to the helium-neon laser, it employs an electric discharge for pumping, using a percentage of nitrogen gas as a pumping gas. The CO2 laser is the most efficient laser, capable of operating at more than 30% efficiency. That's a lot more efficient than an ordinary incandescent light bulb at producing visible light (about 90% of the output of a lightbulb filament is invisible). The carbon dioxide laser finds many applications in industry, particularly for welding and cutting. |
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Argon LaserThe argon ion laser can be operated as a continuous gas laser at about 25 different wavelengths in the visible between 408.9 and 686.1nm, but is best known for its most efficient transitions in the green at 488 nm and 514.5 nm. Operating at much higher powers than the helium-neon gas laser, it is not uncommon to achieve 30 to 100 watts of continuous power using several transitions. This output is produced in a hot plasma and takes extremely high power, typically 9 to 12 kW, so these are large and expensive devices. |
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