Five Laser Types Explained: How They Work & How to Choose
Bottom line up front: Gas, solid-state, fiber, dye, and diode lasers solve different jobs. For industry, **nanosecond fiber lasers** win on efficiency and TCO. For medical or ultra-fine work, go **picosecond/femtosecond solid-state**. For a **laser light show**, don’t chase watts—prioritize **RGB balance**, **scanner speed @
8°**, clean **blanking**, and **IP65** housings outdoors. Starshine supports free shipping, 2-year warranty, and small-batch orders with OEM/ODM.TL;DR (Executive Summary)
Pick by application → material → CW vs pulsed → pulse width → optics & scan. For **laser light projector** rigs, a balanced RGB mix and fast, stable scanners (30K–60K @ 8°) usually look brighter than a blue-heavy, higher-watt box. Outdoors, choose **IP65 laser light** housings and treat power/cabling like weather gear.
Table of Contents
What a Laser Really Is
A **laser** is monochromatic, coherent, and highly collimated light. Every laser has: (1) a pump (electrical discharge, flashlamp, diode laser, chemistry, or another laser), (2) a gain medium (gas, crystal/glass, doped fiber, dye, or semiconductor) that sets wavelength and efficiency, and (3) a resonator (mirrors, coated facets, or fiber Bragg gratings) that amplifies the beam.
Five Laser Types Explained
Gas Lasers (CO₂, He-Ne, Ar/Kr, excimer)
How: electrical discharge in gas achieves inversion. Strengths: stable lines; CO₂ couples well to organics (wood, acrylic). Use: holography, spectroscopy, non-metal cutting/engraving, some surgical tasks.
Solid-State Lasers (Nd:YAG, Nd:YVO4, Ruby, etc.)
How: rare-earth-doped crystal/glass. Strengths: high peak power; works from ns → fs. Use: micro-machining, LiDAR, medical (ablation, lithotripsy).
Fiber Lasers (Yb/Er-doped)
How: gain inside doped optical fiber. Strengths: high electrical efficiency, great M², compact, low maintenance. Use: metal marking, cleaning, welding, cutting; medical; research.
Liquid (Dye) Lasers
How: organic dye solution as gain. Strengths: wide tunability to hit exact absorption lines. Use: spectroscopy, isotope separation, dermatology niches.
Semiconductor (Diode) Lasers / Quantum Cascade
How: PN junction/quantum wells; coated facets act as cavity. Strengths: tiny, scalable, cost-effective as pumps or direct emitters. Use: scanning, printing, telecom, projection, and RGB engines for a show laser projector.
CW vs Pulsed: Average vs Peak Power
CW beams are steady—great for cutting/welding where sustained heat matters. Pulsed stores and dumps energy quickly for high peak power and minimal HAZ—ideal for marking, micro-removal, crisp edges. A 6,000 W CW is 6,000 W all the time; a 100 W pulsed can deliver >10 kW peak in short bursts—different tools for different jobs.
Pulse Width 101: ms · μs · ns · ps · fs
ms = gentle, thermal (depilation/heating). μs = middle ground. ns = industrial workhorse for marking, cleaning, texturing. ps/fs = ultrafast with minimal HAZ for surgical-grade precision.
Application-Driven Choices
Industrial Processing
Metal marking/cleaning: **ns fiber** (20–100 W). Deep engraving/black marking: higher pulse energy ns or ps. Thin-sheet cutting/welding: **CW fiber** (hundreds of watts to multi-kW). Large non-metals: **CO₂** still wins.
Medical & Research
Ophthalmology and ultrafine micro-surgery: **ps/fs solid-state**. Dermatology: ms/μs solid-state or **dye lasers**, matched to chromophores. Spectroscopy/isotope: tunable dye or specialty bands.
Stage & Outdoor Laser Light Shows
Long-throw beams & façades: **15–40 W+ RGB** in **IP65 laser light** housings; check scanners **30K–60K @
8°** and ±60° optics, with smooth analog modulation. Indoor logos/text: **3–12 W** with **40–60K @ 8°** and clean blanking. Pair a laser light projector with moving head laser light for depth; keep a neutral DMX laser layer if you’re running LED walls.
Five Types at a Glance (Comparison Table)
| Type | Gain Medium | Traits | Strengths | Limits | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas (CO₂, He-Ne) | Gas discharge | Narrow lines | Non-metal cutting/engraving | Size/upkeep | Large organic sheets |
| Solid-State | Doped crystal/glass | High peak power | ns→fs micro-machining | Thermal design | Precision/medical |
| Fiber | Doped optical fiber | High efficiency, great M² | Marking, cleaning, welding | Ultrafast cost | Industrial workhorse |
| Dye | Organic dye | Wide tunability | Exact resonances | Consumables | Spectroscopy/isotope |
| Diode | Semiconductor | Tiny, scalable | Pumps, direct RGB | Beam shaping | Show engines, pumps |
How to Choose (Copy-and-Use Checklist)
- Job: material/thickness or throw distance/image size.
- CW vs pulsed: sustained heat vs peak/low HAZ.
- Pulse width: ns (industrial), ps/fs (ultrafine).
-
Optics & scan: beam diameter/divergence; KPPS @
8°. - Environment: indoor vs outdoor laser lights (need IP65).
- TCO: power draw, upkeep, consumables.
- Safety: class/labels, interlocks, audience-safe scans.
Safety & Compliance Notes
Verify classification/labels and interlocks per your market. For show rigs, validate frames with the ILDA test pattern at
8°, document E-stop/interlock routing, and train crews with a single “SafeStart” card. Outdoors, use RCD/GFCI and weather-rated cabling with drip loops.Starshine Field Notes (Case Studies)
A) Waterfront New Year’s Show
Rig: 20–30 W IP65 RGB projectors × 12, unified color/scan at 50K @ 8°. Fixes: anti-condensation housings, low-haze windows, analog modulation for natural whites/skin tones. Result: ~600 m visibility over water; clips look true on phones.
B) Auto Parts Line (DPM codes)
Rig: 30 W ns fiber + vision. Fix: light clean → black mark; tuned pulse energy/rep rate. Result: >99.5% first-pass read rate at 1.8 s takt.
C) Mall Atrium Pop-Up
Rig: 6–8 W RGB × 4 at 40–50K @ 8°, prebuilt logos/text. Ops: pre-wired power/data, one-page reset card, unified profiles. Result: clean logos, five-minute turnovers, camera-friendly beams.
FAQ (Collapsible)
For metal work, CO₂ or fiber?
Metals prefer fiber (ns/ps). Large non-metal sheets still favor CO₂. For “light clean + black mark,” a nanosecond fiber is fast and cost-effective.
Do more watts always win for a laser light show?
No. Match throw distance, frame size, and scanner speed @ 8°. Balanced RGB and clean blanking often look brighter than blue-heavy high-watt units.
Why do my logos have tails?
Calibrate with the ILDA test at 8°, raise KPPS or reduce frame size, check analog blanking, and clean optics.
Can I place a small-batch order first?
Yes. We support small-batch orders, free shipping, 2-year warranty, and OEM/ODM labels/manuals.
Are diode lasers good enough for professional shows?
Yes—if analog modulation is clean and scanners are fast/stable (30K–60K @ 8°). Outdoors, use IP65 housings.
Call to Action
✅ Fast sizing: Send material/throw + indoor/outdoor. We’ll reply with a ready-to-run configuration (power, KPPS @ 8°, blanking, RGB balance).
✅ Try first: Request a sample or small-batch order—enjoy free shipping + 2-year warranty.
✅ OEM/ODM: Label kits, manuals, and SafeStart cards included.