RE: Green laser pointers (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:32:30 -0400
From: "Mccauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley@xxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Green laser pointers


Pete,

Red lasers can be made just as powerful as green lasers.  Green lasers
appear brighter due to the sensitivity of green of the human eye. Also,
because of scattering effects in the air at the wavelength in question.

Also, a "green" laser is really a red laser.  The green lasers you see
are actually IR (infrared) solid state lasers which have been converted
(through
a doubling network consisting of various optical components) to green
lasers by doubling the wavelength. So the actual lasing of a "green"
laser is in the IR range.

Dan


   
  Steve, or anyone else...,

I've always wondered why they can make such hi-powered green
lasers, but not red or yellow ?

-Pete Lawrence.

[I'm not sure about that, so any laser physicists on the list are 
encouraged to chime in.  I do know they have solid state UV lasers in
the
multi-watt range, but they're beaucoup bux. SRR]

       
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