List of laser types

This is a list of laser types, their operational wavelengths, and their applications.

Thousands of kinds of laser are known, but most of them are used only for specialized research.

The lasing medium is a semiconductor chip.

Frequency doubling or tripling is typically done to produce visible or ultraviolet radiation.

Beam quality can be extremely high- often rivaling that of an ion laser.

An immense slab of "continuous melt" processed neodymium -doped laser glass for use on the National Ignition Facility .
Wavelengths of commercially available lasers. Laser types with distinct laser lines are shown above the wavelength bar, while below are shown lasers that can emit in a wavelength range. The height of the lines and bars gives an indication of the maximal power/pulse energy commercially available, while the color codifies the type of laser material (see the figure description for details). Most of the data comes from Weber's book Handbook of laser wavelengths , [ 1 ] with newer data in particular for the semiconductor lasers.