What is a laser diode for?

More recently, the manufacture of a laser installation, even of a small power, was associated with certain difficulties. It was necessary to find a crystal, to develop and assemble a scheme for its pumping, etc. It was almost impossible for a novice radio amateur. With the development of innovative technologies, it became possible to obtain a beam in a home laboratory. The industry produces miniature devices that can generate the desired radiation - this is the so-called laser diode. A sufficiently high output optical power and good operating parameters of the device allow using it in measuring high-precision devices in production, medicine or everyday life. These are all known level gauges, pointers, "cutters" for DVDs, etc.

The appearance of this new element has revolutionized the design of electronic devices of varying degrees of complexity. Powerful laser diodes are able to generate a beam, through which it became possible to perform operations on the eyes. He has already helped many millions of people recover lost vision. Correction and restoration of the working capacity of the lens became an ordinary operation for many clinics. Such a beam is able in a matter of seconds to perform all the necessary work to restore vision.

Such a laser diode is used in measuring instruments at work and at home. With its help, you can quickly adjust the level when building an object of any complexity. It is used in the measurement of engine speed in production, participates in the work of regulating and protection schemes in the technological process.

On an industrial scale, devices of this class of various capacities are manufactured. You can buy a laser diode with an optical power of 8 watts.

This is quite enough to collect at home a small, portable device that can serve, for example, as a level gauge.

Such a device is reliable in operation and allows generating a beam of a large extent. Of course, it is necessary to take into account the safety requirements when working with such devices. It is especially dangerous to hit the eye. At close range such a beam can damage soft tissues.

Of course, when assembling a self-made device, it is necessary to take into account the scheme by which the laser diode will be connected to the power source. The fact is that these devices can not simply be connected to the battery, it is necessary to consider the following features:

• When installing and dismantling, avoid static electricity, it can damage the laser diode.
• It is not allowed to turn on / off the appearance of short-term voltage surges.
• Just like a conventional LED, the device should work at a rated current, exceeding it will significantly shorten the operating time.

Considering all of the above, it is quite possible to design a circuit (or to find it already ready) that can provide stable and long-term operation of such a device. You can get a beam with which you can organize an interesting show or assemble a motion sensor.