Blue Lasers

Learn More About Blue Lasers

Blue laser wavelengths are on the shorter end of the visible spectrum. With shorter wavelengths, comes a couple of benefits, such as a smaller minimum spot size, and stronger absorption in materials. The minimum focused spot size of a laser beam is limited by the wavelength. Therefore, the shorter the wavelength the more tightly focused your spot size can be. This can be beneficial for extremely small features, whether in data storage, where the blue or violet beam (Blu-Ray) enables a much higher data density than older technologies (CDs) utilizing a red beam, or for imaging applications or for surface roughness measurements, for example, where the shorter wavelengths enable higher resolutions. Shorter wavelengths also provide stronger absorption in materials. For example, many metals are highly reflective to infrared (IR) wavelengths, while it’s been shown that shorter wavelengths (i.e., blue lasers) are efficiently absorbed into materials such as copper. More on this below.

Sometimes you will see the terms blue lasers and violet lasers used interchangeably. For example, 405 nm lasers are often listed as a blue wavelength, while RPMC defines this wavelength as belonging to the violet color regime. Depending on where you look, you can find slightly different definitions or parameters for what specific wavelength range denotes blue wavelengths and which denote violet, especially right around where these two spectral regions come together. All that really matters is that you choose the proper specific wavelength to match your application requirements.

Blue Laser Diodes

Blue Diode Lasers (blue semiconductor lasers), which are typically fabricated out of aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) or aluminum indium gallium nitride (AlInGaN), are one of the newest laser diodes available on the market today, having been first demonstrated in the mid-1990s.  Over the past 20 years, blue diode lasers have found uses in a wide variety of applications, most ranging from RGB laser displays to aesthetic lasers for acne treatment. Blue laser light is efficiently absorbed by most metals. Considering this, blue wavelength lasers can be an extremely versatile tool, able to process most materials. High power blue laser diodes provide void-free, spatter-free welds on copper, non-ferrous metals, and dissimilar metals.

Blue DPSS Lasers

In addition to blue diode lasers, diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers are also available offering extremely long coherence lengths for applications such as Interferometry, Holography, and LIBS. DPSS lasers can produce blue laser light through harmonic generation (3rd harmonic / frequency-tripling) of neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd:YLF) gain media, for example.

Our Blue Laser Products

We offer many different laser types with Blue output, including Single Emitter and Multi-Emitter Laser Diodes, Laser Diode Modules, Line Modules, Pulsed DPSS Lasers, Microchip Lasers, Tunable DPSS Lasers and Turnkey Systems. Our Blue products are available with up to 3.5 W average power, options for single-mode or multimode, free-space or fiber-coupled output, and various packaging options and integration levels from component to OEM to turnkey systems. We have a number of different blue wavelengths from 415 to 495 nm including non-traditional blue wavelengths like 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, and 460 nm, ideal for various life science applications. If you are looking for 405 nm lasers, you can find them here on our Violet Lasers page.

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Deeper Dive into Blue Lasers

Blue Laser Applications

Generally, blue (or sometimes ‘violet’) lasers are useful for many different applications, including flow cytometry, spectroscopic measurements, interferometry, and laser projection (e.g., RGB laser sources). Direct diode laser applications benefit from blue laser applictions, as mentioned earlier (increased data storage density).

Some other blue laser-based application areas:

• Telecommunications
• Information technology
• Environmental monitoring
• Medical diagnostics
• Electronic equipment
• Non-ferrous metal welding
• Microwelding

Gallium Nitride (GaN) Laser Diodes: Green, Blue, and UV Wavelengths

In practice, the material science involved in stably producing laser diode structures with any arbitrary stoichiometry is far more challenging.  As stated earlier, for many years it was thought that these challenges would never be overcome, until 1996 when the first AlGaN laser diode was invented by Shuji Nakamura.  Nakamura’s work with GaN based semiconductor lasers and LEDs was so revolutionary that he was later awarded the Nobel prize in physics.  Over the past 20 years, the technology for making Gallium Nitride (GaN) Laser Diodes has matured into its own branch of optoelectronics.  These laser diodes are now available in wavelengths from 375 nm to 521 nm, with output powers exceeding 100 watts.

Read the full article here.

445nm High-Power Diode Lasers for Micro-Welding Applications

Laser micro-welding takes another step in the evolution of micro-welding technology. Standard laser welding offers many benefits over traditional welding, including providing high-quality welds at complex interfaces with varying thicknesses and geometries. Laser welding, a contact-free process, affords you increased flexibility in the design of your part and the layout of your workstation. Space constraints become less burdensome and more complex geometries and unique welding challenges become more feasible when you don’t need room for bulky and perhaps custom welding heads. OEM type lasers can be easily integrated into laser welding systems with a host of beam delivery options, including mounting to robotic arms for complete process automation. These same benefits apply in 445nm (blue) laser micro-welding, as well as providing void-free, sputter-free welds, advancing the capabilities of this technology even further. For some additional reading on standard laser welding, check out one of our recent articles titled “Blue Diode Lasers Enable High-Quality, Non-Ferrous Metal Welding.”

Read the full article here.

Blue Diode Lasers Enable High-Quality Non-Ferrous Metal Welding

Blue diode lasers have recently become known as an excellent tool for certain processing techniques regarding copper and other non-ferrous and highly reflective metals. Copper, gold, aluminum, and certain other metals absorb blue wavelengths more easily than any other wavelengths of visible or invisible light. This higher rate of absorption allows for both higher quality results and faster processing times, when typically, there is a trade off between quality and speed.

Utilizing high-power blue diode lasers allows for high-quality, sputter-free welding of complex interfaces, with varying thicknesses and geometries, in copper, various aluminum alloys, and stainless steel, as well as the ability to weld these dissimilar metals together. Because laser welding is a contact-free process, your part design, workstation, and process are afforded increased flexibility. Space constraints become less burdensome and more complex geometries and unique welding challenges become more feasible when you don’t need room for bulky and perhaps custom welding heads.

Read the full article here.

Flow Cytometry: Application Basics, Source Requirements & Solutions

Just as in traditional particle counting, these lasers must exhibit excellent pointing and power stability, and single-mode, low noise operation (typically free-space output). However, unlike conventional particle counting systems, the wavelengths must be chosen to match the excitation spectra of the available fluorophores. Typical wavelengths include 355nm, 405nm, 473nm, 488nm, 532nm, 553nm, 561nm, 594nm, 640nm and NIR, with output powers in the 25-500mW range. Additionally, since multiple lasers are being integrated into a single system, size, cost, and ease of integration all become significant factors in deciding which laser to choose.  Here at RPMC lasers, we offer a unique ultra-compact laser source which is capable of providing a low noise (0.4% typical) single-mode (typical M² of 1.3) output beam with laser housing dimensions of only 50 mm x 30 mm x 18 mm.  These lasers are available from 405 nm to 1064 nm and are capable of producing output powers as high as 500mW.

Read the full article here.

How Can We Help?

With over 25 years experience providing Blue lasers to researchers and OEM integrators working in various markets and applications, and 1000s of units fielded, we have the experience to ensure you get the right product for the application. Working with RPMC ensures you are getting trusted advice from our knowledgeable and technical staff on a wide range of laser products.  RPMC and our manufacturers are willing and able to provide custom solutions for your unique application.

If you have any questions, or if you would like some assistance please Contact Us here. Furthermore, you can email us at [email protected] to talk to a knowledgeable Product Manager.

Alternatively, use the filters on this page to assist in narrowing down the selection of Blue lasers for sale. Finally, head to our Knowledge Center with our Lasers 101 page and Blogs, Whitepapers, and FAQ pages for further, in-depth reading.

Check out our Online Store: This page contains In-Stock products and an ever-changing assortment of various types of new lasers at marked-down/discount prices.