Incredibly powerful single-mode semiconductor lasers on the horizon

[barthchris]

I was skeptical that star wars type laser weapons would ever be practical in my lifetime. Now Im not so sure and Im someone who is very skeptical with claims of what will be the next greatest thing.

Chesk this out. It really is mindblowing. The small 1mm prototype was fed with 110A, 3mm is predicted to output 1KW!!!!!

Any guesses on how long it will be till someone here posts a 1KW single mode "pointer"?? I don't care if it's only in IR wavelengths, its still badass!

Semiconductor Lasers Hit Steel-Slicing Levels

PCSEL devices now blast brawny beams comparable to those of bulkier laser systems

spectrum.ieee.org

 

[paul1598419]

Fifty watts is pretty good for a PCSEL, but they haven't gone much over that with what is available now. I don't see anyone here getting a 1 KW single mode laser in anyone's lifetime here. Good article, though.

 

[RedCowboy]

Fifty watts is pretty good for a PCSEL, but they haven't gone much over that with what is available now. I don't see anyone here getting a 1 KW single mode laser in anyone's lifetime here. Good article, though.

Nonsense, some people here are young enough that they will see lasers evolve in ways that you can't even imagine.

" The researchers plan to continue scaling up their laser, hoping to bring the diameter to 10mm, which would allow for producing a 1-kilowatt beam. "

A photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser built bright enough for industrial-scale cutting

A team of photonics and electronic engineers at Kyoto University has found a way to overcome the shortcomings of photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) that have prevented their use in industrial-scale cutting applications. In their study reported in the journal Nature, the group made...

phys.org

 

[paul1598419]

Nonsense, some people here are young enough that they will see lasers evolve in ways that you can't even imagine.

" The researchers plan to continue scaling up their laser, hoping to bring the diameter to 10mm, which would allow for producing a 1-kilowatt beam. "

A photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser built bright enough for industrial-scale cutting

A team of photonics and electronic engineers at Kyoto University has found a way to overcome the shortcomings of photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) that have prevented their use in industrial-scale cutting applications. In their study reported in the journal Nature, the group made...

phys.org

And somehow you see someone here getting one in a handheld host in the next 50 years?

 

[RedCowboy]

50 years, most certainly.

Everything laser technology related is getting better and more affordable as well as becoming more compact and efficient, in 50 years the battery technology will be beyond anything you can imagine today and hobbyist will re-purpose " utility " lasers comprised of quantum dot like magic yet to even be conceived, but it will be ever more compact, powerful and efficient than what was available a decade before that.

The only question is how regulated to death will our hobby be in 50 years, it will be directly related to how free/civilized our society is and if we have a modern society " no global nuclear wars ect.... " and that's a topic that will become too easily a political discussion, so ignoring that factor....Yes the technology will be readily available in 50 years as long as things continue to progress.

1KW and up welding/cutting lasers are available to consumers today and this market has plenty of room to grow, a self contained portable welding laser the size of a cordless drill is easily conceivable in a decade or two and in 50 years..... anything is possible.

Handheld Laser Welding and Cleaning Systems | IPG Photonics

Handheld laser welder and handheld laser cleaner in one system. Up to 4X faster than TIG, able to weld a wide range of materials up to ¼” thick.

lasersystems.ipgphotonics.com

 

[paul1598419]

Fifty years was taking into account people here that are very young. Most of the people here will be dead long before then. Yes, you can get a 1 KW laser now, but they aren't PCSELs. A more relevant time frame would be 15 years. None of the 1 KW lasers now are single mode single diode lasers.

 

[Ears and Eggs]

Deleted the posts that were just bickering. Have you two considered getting a YouTube channel where it's just you two arguing in each video?

 

[RedCowboy]

I think we will see a lot of advancement in high power laser technology because the money is there, hell it's amazing how fast laser welding is taking over and it will continue to grow because it's so much faster and easier for workers to learn and with mass production comes lower cost and more technical advancement. I'm very excited about it..... I only hope I live to see where lasers reach their technological peak.

 

[paul1598419]

After seeing the first laser made and the years since, the technology will never peak as advancements continue and likely always will. I have no idea where lasers will be in the next 50 years, but I expect the technology to still be continuing even then.

 

[RedCowboy]

No doubt, but I do hope to live long enough to see the technological hay-day so to speak and with more robots building cars, laser welding will advance quite a lot in the next decade and beyond.

Advancement is always possible, it's how much effort ( money ) that's put towards it, that drives rapid development/refinement.

So super portable handheld 1KW+++ laser welders/cutters are coming and in much less than 50 years.

 

[paul1598419]

There are lots of robots building cars with this technology already. Was watching a Japanese company that uses robots to make and assemble these parts right now. Humans observe them and are used in the final assembly, but most is already done by robots.

 

[RedCowboy]

Exactly, lots of industrial demand and that will lower the cost of small hobbyist units too, I only hope the high demand accelerates refinement and mass production of high power 1550nm laser sources, I would much rather people buying their 1st laser welder at the hardware store get one in 1550nm+ as it is less of a specular eye hazard.

 

[CurtisOliver]

Deleted the posts that were just bickering. Have you two considered getting a YouTube channel where it's just you two arguing in each video?

I’ll make it happen if I get the ad revenue.


As for the technology. Amazing stuff. You’ll still have significant issues in powering and cooling a diode like that but incredible nonetheless.
I would certainly be interested in these for material processing.

 

[RedCowboy]

Improvements in efficiency are noticeable all across the laser industry over time and is a key research feature, I expect waste heat will be less of an issue in the future. Quantum dot lasers promise to be more efficient, here are some older articles I came across, but still interesting.

Quantum dots self-tune their color for ultra-efficient nano lasers

The laser, one of the most valuable scientific instruments, is getting smaller and more efficient. Scientists have designed a miniature laser, whose nanoscale dimensions and low optical losses will be instrumental in future developments of integrated photonic circuits.

phys.org

Chemical treatment improves quantum dot lasers

Chemical treatment improves quantum dot lasers

www.lanl.gov

 

[kecked]

Exactly. You can get a kw laser but powering it is the issue. You can certainly pulse it on battery that is carryable but not cw for any length of time. If it was even 10% efficient you’d need to dissipate. 9kw of heat. AND getting any battery to supply 110a on demand is hard. So even if you have the laser you need to power and cool it. Maybe you can make it fire a few ms pulses and then need to rest?

now imagine 50 of those in an array forget the power issue. That’s what darpa made for navy ships! This will be regulated for sure. You could pop peoples car tires while in motion. Take a plane down. That’s not a toy anymore and I for one would rather not have that in the hands of teens Who like to attack their school because they are depressed.