The principle kinds of lasers are solid state lasers, gas lasers and liquid lasers. A great, liquid, gas or semiconductor can act since the laser medium.
Solid state lasers are produced with hard materials like garnet or ruby. Solid state lasers are useful for detecting ecological pollution, in scientific researches and a number of other applications. Solid state lasers have laser emitting materials arranged in solid matrix. Examples for solid state lasers are the ruby or neodymium-Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) lasers. The lasing materials are pumped with flashlights, making the laser give either pulsed or continuous beam of light.
Gas lasers are lasers in which an household current is passed through a gas to produce light. In the first days gas lasers used a variety of helium and neon with carbon dioxide. At present gas lasers can use more strong and volatile mediums like hydrogen and fluorine. Gas lasers have great military applications. The cutting of hard materials becomes easy through gas lasers.
Liquid lasers or dye lasers utilize liquid organic dyes. These emit a broad, continuous range of colors, mainly in the visible area of the spectrum. Dye lasers are excellent for applications in which a particular color is required Certified Lasers. Another laser source such as for instance copper vapor laser can be used to excite the dye. Liquid lasers could be tuned over a broad range of wavelengths.
Excimer lasers are generated by utilizing gases like fluorine and chlorine in combination with other gases such as for instance krypton, argon or xenon. Excimer lasers are extremely helpful for the medical profession. To regulate the wavelength of the lasers compound natural dyes are employed extensively.
Semiconductor lasers are usually tiny devices and use only low power. Semiconductor lasers are also known as diode lasers. The writing sources in some CD players and in some laser printers are examples for this. Semiconductor lasers are extremely helpful for electronics like CD players, laser printers etc.
