Recent content by obabo

I built a 5mw 650nm laser from an Aixiz diode and an lm317 current regulator, with a 9v battery as a power source. I know the beginner thread recommends using something other than 9v, but it was all I had on hand. I read some of them along with a textbook on the fundamentals of light, lasers...

It seems clear to me that I'm way out of my depth here. I built my first laser a few weeks ago and it's becoming more clear that I have no idea what I would use a single mode laser for. Do you have any recommendations for beginners? If there's a beginner project recommendation thread I'd like...

I prefer a diode because I'm practicing building lasers from parts and I like being able to adjust the focus, but if there are cheap pre-built pointers I'll take that too.

I don't have a power meter, is there a way for me to verify that the output is under 5mW?

Hey everyone, I've been reading the forums for a while and I haven't found many mentions of single mode diodes. Can anyone help me find some companies that sell single mode diodes? Preferably under 5 mw, but if that isn't possible for some reason that's fine.