Despite their small size and low input power, diode lasers may still represent a significant hazard to vision. This is especially true where the output is collimated and/or invisible (near IR), and/or higher power than the typical 3 to 5 mW. At least you don't have to worry about getting zapped by any high voltage (as in a HeNe or argon laser).

Writeable optical drives (WORM, CD-R) may use IR laser diodes producing 10s of mW. A typical CD-R drive sets the laser power at 3 to 5 mW for read and 25 to 30 mW for write. Various types of laser cameras and laser typesetters may use laser diodes of 100s of mW. These are extremely dangerous even if not that well collimated. Furthermore, since they also use near-IR wavelengths so that there is essentially no warning that a beam is present. In fact groene laserpen 50mW , since the response of the human eye to near-IR radiation results in an weak indication of red light, one may be led to the false conclusion that the output is a weak visible beam when the actual optical power is 10,000 times higher and the damage has already been done.

Laser diodes in the 635 to 650 nm range will be used in the much hyped DVD (Digital Video - or Versatile - Disc) technology, destined to replace CDs and CDROMs in the next few years rode laserpointer 100mw . The shorter wavelength compared to 780 nm is one of several improvements that enable DVDs to store about 8 times (or more - 4 to 5 GB per layer, the specifications allow up to 2 layers on each side of a CD-size disc!) the amount of information or video/audio as CDs (650 MB). A side benefit is that dead DVD players and DVDROM drives (I cannot wait) will yield very nice visible laser diodes for the experimenter. :-)

Visible laser diodes have replaced helium-neon lasers in supermarket checkout UPC scanners and other bar code scanners, laser pointers, patient positioning devices in medicine (i.e., CT and MRI scanners, radiation treatment planning systems), and many other applications groene laserpen 200mW . The first visible laser diodes emitted at a wavelength of around 670 nm in the deep red part of the spectrum. More recently, 650 nm and 635 nm red laser diodes have dropped in price.

Due to the nature of the emitting junction which results in a wedge shaped beam and unequal divergence (10 x 30 degrees typical), a laser diode is somewhat astigmatic. In effect, the focal length required to collimate the beam in X and Y differs very slightly. Thus, an additional cylindrical lens or a single lens with an astigmatic curvature is required to fully compensate for this characteristic. However, the amount of astigmatism is usually small and can often be ignored. The general beam shape is elliptical or rectangular but this can be circularized by a pair of prisms.