Laser Manufacturers and Companies

Lasers

Lasers generate beams of monochromatic, coherent light, concentrating intense energy at a precise point. The word “laser” stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, indicating that lasers emit focused electromagnetic radiation through the process of stimulated emission.

The History of Lasers

The Beginnings of Lasers
The origins of laser technology date back to 1917, when Albert Einstein published “On the Quantum Theory of Radiation.” In this groundbreaking paper, he introduced the concept of stimulated emission—suggesting that atoms in an excited state could emit photons under specific conditions. Although this theory would later become the foundation of laser science, it wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that researchers began exploring its practical applications.

One of the pioneers of this work was American physicist Charles H. Townes. During World War II, he had contributed to radar technology and, after the war, shifted his focus to molecular spectroscopy. This field involved using light energy to examine how molecules scatter radiation, revealing their internal structure. However, Townes encountered a limitation: he couldn’t generate the shorter microwave wavelengths he needed. Drawing on Einstein’s theory, he conceived of a device that would use stimulated emission to amplify microwave energy. In 1953, this vision became a reality with the invention of the maser—Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

By 1957, Townes had turned his attention toward visible light, collaborating with Arthur Schawlow at Bell Labs. Schawlow proposed using mirrors to reflect and focus light energy within the system—an idea that became central to laser construction. Together, Townes and Schawlow published their laser theory in 1958 and secured a patent in 1960. But before they could build the first working model, Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Labs succeeded. His ruby-based, flashlamp-pumped laser emitted a red beam at a 694-nanometer wavelength. Though his laser was only capable of pulsed output, it marked the birth of the diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser.

Lasers in the 1960s and Beyond
The 1960s proved to be a transformative decade for laser development. Just months after Maiman’s success, physicist Ali Javan, working with Donald Herriott and William R. Bennett, unveiled the first gas laser. Unlike the ruby laser, this helium-neon system could operate continuously. Javan’s breakthrough earned him the Albert Einstein Award in 1993.

In 1962, further progress came with the creation of laser diode systems. Robert N. Hall developed the first that emitted light in the near-infrared range. Later that year, Nick Holonyak, Jr. produced a diode laser capable of emitting visible-spectrum light.

From those early breakthroughs, laser technology rapidly evolved. Scientists expanded the range of wavelengths lasers could produce, enhanced their energy efficiency, and significantly improved power output and pulse duration. Materials used in lasers have diversified, enabling lasers to serve in everything from industrial cutting tools to delicate medical instruments and even DNA sequencing.

As research continues, lasers are only becoming more advanced and specialized—pushing the boundaries of what light-based technology can accomplish.

Advantages of Lasers

Lasers offer many advantages. First, they provide highly stable output and maintain reliable performance over extended periods, often requiring little to no maintenance. Second, manufacturers design lasers to deliver consistent results in high-duty cycle and continuous-use applications. With the right repetition rate, lasers can function uninterrupted for hundreds—or even thousands—of hours.

Laser Design

Gain Medium Materials
Common materials used as the gain medium in lasers include:

Solid-State Laser Materials
Examples include neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (ND:YAG), a popular choice for high-power applications.

Inert and Reactive Gaseous State Materials
These include gases such as ionized argon and krypton (ion lasers), helium-neon mixtures, carbon dioxide (CO₂), chlorine, fluorine, and xenon, which are used in various gas lasers.

Liquid Materials
Organic dyes serve as the gain medium in dye lasers, offering tunable output across a broad range of wavelengths.

Semiconductors
Used in laser diodes, semiconductors offer compact size and energy efficiency.

Customization of Laser
When designing a custom laser system, manufacturers can alter multiple factors, including size, output power, beam quality, energy consumption, pumping methods, and operational lifespan. For industrial fiber lasers in particular, suppliers may coil or bend the optical fiber to modify the beam’s characteristics or conserve space.

These design decisions depend heavily on the application’s specific needs—such as the target material (metal, plastic, human tissue), the type of process (welding, engraving , pointing), required power levels, desired precision, and spatial constraints. To explore your options further, consult with experienced suppliers who specialize in custom laser systems.

Types of Lasers

CO₂ Lasers
These lasers generate energy using a contained supply of carbon dioxide gas. Known for their long operational lifespan, CO₂ lasers can function for thousands of hours before needing a gas refill. They perform exceptionally well with a range of materials including metals, wood, plastics, ceramics, glass, and quartz, making them ideal for deep laser cutting and welding tasks.

Diode Lasers
Also known as semiconductor lasers, diode lasers create coherent light using tiny chips made from materials like gallium arsenide. Though smaller and less powerful than other laser types, they are highly efficient for low-power applications. Common uses include CD-ROM drives, barcode scanners, laser printers, and handheld electronics.

Dye Lasers
These lasers rely on complex organic dyes in liquid form to produce light. Their standout feature is tunability, allowing them to operate across a broad spectrum of wavelengths, which makes them useful for a variety of scientific applications.

Embedded Lasers
Designed to be part of a larger system, embedded lasers possess capabilities beyond those accessible by the integrated system. Their class designation reflects added safety features that limit user exposure to higher emissions.

Excimer Lasers
Capable of emitting powerful, focused ultraviolet light in short pulses, excimer lasers are used primarily for precision laser cutting and surface ablation. These UV lasers are essential tools in scientific, medical, and industrial applications, especially where fine detail and minimal thermal damage are crucial.

Fiber Laser
Fiber lasers are robust, high-power solid-state systems that use rare-earth-doped optical fibers to generate light. They serve a wide range of industrial tasks like cutting, welding, engraving, marking, sintering, and drilling. Common in sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, electronics, and medical device manufacturing, they are valued for their energy efficiency and beam quality.

Helium-Neon Lasers
These lasers produce a coherent light beam by electrifying a mixture of helium and neon gas. They typically emit visible red light and are used for alignment, research, and holography.

Industrial Lasers
Tailored for demanding environments, industrial lasers carry out tasks like welding, cutting, engraving, and etching. They are foundational tools in heavy manufacturing and fabrication processes.

Internal Mirror Lasers
These systems incorporate mirrors inside the containment vessel to form the laser cavity. This integrated design enhances performance and alignment stability, especially in gas-based lasers.

Laser Modules
Compact and low-power, laser modules are often used in consumer tools and handheld devices, such as laser pointers, barcode readers, and leveling equipment. They combine a laser diode with optics and electronics in a single housing.

Laser Systems
Encompassing everything from standalone units to integrated setups, laser systems are employed across industries for metal and plastic cutting, micro-machining, and high-precision marking.

Marking Lasers
These lasers etch or engrave information such as logos, serial numbers, and barcodes onto surfaces like wood, ceramic, and glass. Adjustable lenses allow operators to modify the beam’s diameter to control the depth and width of the markings.

Medical Lasers
Used in surgeries and other medical procedures, these lasers offer high precision and minimal tissue damage, making them a preferred alternative to traditional scalpels in areas such as dermatology, ophthalmology, and oncology.

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Lasers
Known as Nd:YAG lasers, these solid-state systems use neodymium-doped crystals to produce powerful laser beams. Available in pulsed or continuous modes, they are employed in deep cutting, welding, marking, and medical procedures.

Solid-State Lasers
Utilizing solid gain mediums such as crystals or glasses, these lasers generate light through electrical excitation. They offer high output power and are frequently used in manufacturing, defense, and scientific applications.

Visible Lasers
These lasers emit wavelengths in the visible spectrum, appearing red, green, blue, or violet. Unlike invisible infrared lasers, visible variants are often used in consumer products, displays, and measurement tools where beam visibility is necessary.

Welding Lasers
With high energy density and pinpoint accuracy, welding lasers are capable of fusing metals with minimal heat-affected zones. They are ideal for creating clean, precise welds in delicate or complex assemblies where conventional welding methods fall short.

Laser Applications

Depending on their power level, lasers are used in a wide range of applications across the medical, manufacturing, construction, and electronics industries. Common uses for laser technology include cutting, welding, engraving, etching, heat treating of metals and plastics, as well as precision tools for surveyors, leveling, and pointing. In defense applications, lasers are also deployed as weapon systems. The U.S. Navy, for example, uses laser weaponry to disable, destroy, or deter targets, while other military forces employ lasers to intercept missiles and drones mid-flight.

Lower-power lasers, such as laser modules, serve practical purposes in everyday tools like laser pointers, construction-leveling instruments, and land surveying equipment. In medical settings, lasers play a critical role in procedures performed in hospitals, dental clinics, and surgical centers. These include soft tissue surgeries, vision correction, and cavity treatment. On the higher end of the power spectrum, industrial lasers are capable of handling intensive material fabrication tasks. Their strength enables them to cut, weld, etch, engrave, and heat treat metals and plastics with extreme precision and efficiency.

Features of Lasers

All lasers are composed of three essential components: an optical cavity, a gain medium, and a pumping system.

The optical cavity houses the gain medium—the material responsible for producing laser light—and a set of mirrors that reflect and amplify the light energy. These mirrors excite the medium and direct the emitted photons along a consistent pathway. Photons, which are energy-carrying particles that constitute laser light, have no rest mass and serve as the fundamental units of electromagnetic radiation. The gain medium itself can be a solid, a gas like argon, a liquid dye, or a semiconductor, as seen in diode lasers.

The pumping system supplies the energy required to excite the atoms or molecules within the gain medium. This energy transfer happens in one of three ways. In optical pumping, light from an external source—such as a xenon gas flash lamp—provides the excitation energy. In collision pumping, an electrical discharge energizes atoms in a gas or gas mixture. Some systems achieve excitation through chemical pumping, in which the energy released from chemical reactions brings the gain medium to a state where laser emission can occur.

Standards and Specifications for Lasers

In addition to ensuring your laser products fall within the appropriate safety classes, it’s essential to verify that they are certified by the proper regulatory organizations based on your application, industry, and geographic location. For instance, ANSI provides laser safety standards tailored to various sectors, including the military, medical, educational, and industrial fields. OSHA also establishes workplace standards for laser use, and it is critical that both your equipment and your environment comply with these requirements. Furthermore, the FDA enforces its own set of laser regulations. To ensure full compliance, consult with industry authorities and relevant government agencies to determine the exact standards your laser systems must meet.

Things to Consider When Choosing Lasers

Lasers are highly sensitive devices, even when expertly built and correctly matched to their intended application. If a laser system malfunctions or isn’t properly suited to its use, it can pose serious risks. That’s why it’s critical to partner with a knowledgeable, reliable laser manufacturer. To simplify your search, we’ve assembled a list of some of the leading laser manufacturers in the industry. Their profiles are available near the top of this page. Take time to review their offerings and determine which companies best align with your application requirements. Narrow your list down to three or four manufacturers, then reach out to each one. Be ready to discuss your full set of specifications—such as budget, lead time, regulatory standards, delivery preferences, and desired support services like maintenance or repair. Preparing a written summary of your needs ahead of time can streamline these conversations. Once you’ve gathered responses, evaluate each option carefully to select the partner that’s right for you.

Proper Care and Usage for Lasers

When purchasing a laser, it's essential to understand the potential hazards and implement the necessary safety precautions. Laser exposure can cause serious harm to both people and property. To help manage these risks, suppliers categorize lasers into five distinct classes based on power output and associated hazards: Class I, Class II, Class IIIa, Class IIIb, and Class IV. Manufacturers are also required to incorporate built-in engineering controls to enhance system safety.

Class I Lasers
These are the lowest power lasers and pose no biological hazard under normal use. With power levels under 1 milliwatt (mW), they are commonly found in laser pointers and barcode scanners.

Class II Lasers
Also generally safe for use, though prolonged direct eye exposure can cause damage. They emit visible light and operate at power levels up to 1 mW.

Class IIIa Lasers
These lasers range from 1 to 5 mW and carry a moderate risk of eye injury with direct or reflected exposure. However, they do not pose a fire hazard or burn materials.

Class IIIb Lasers
With power between 5 and 500 mW, Class IIIb lasers can cause serious eye injuries and may ignite some materials under specific conditions.

Class IV Lasers
Operating at over 500 mW, these are the most hazardous. They can burn skin, ignite materials, and cause permanent eye damage even from indirect exposure.

All laser systems, regardless of class, must include an enclosure that limits access to the beam. Class IV lasers, in particular, require a master control switch to restrict operation to authorized personnel. They must also have a permanently attached beam stop or attenuator to reduce emissions when the laser is in standby mode. These controls are also highly recommended for Class IIIa and IIIb lasers.

Additional recommended safety measures include restricted access to laser operation areas, protective eyewear, interlocks or barriers, warning signage, and comprehensive operator training. Implementing these precautions helps ensure a safe working environment for all personnel.

Laser Accessories

Common accessories used with laser equipment include drivers, mounts, safety goggles, and other forms of protective gear. Additional components such as cover detectors, laser projectors, optical isolators, and shutters are also widely utilized. Many systems incorporate optical system design software for precision control, as well as crystals, choppers, and rotary laser levels to support and expand laser functionality.

Laser Terms

Absorb
The process of converting radiant energy into another form, resulting in an increase in temperature.

Absorption
The conversion of radiant energy into a different form by matter, influenced by both the material's properties and the wavelength and temperature of the radiation.

Absorption Coefficient
A value that describes how much light is absorbed per unit distance as it travels through a material.

Accessible Emission Level
The measured magnitude of laser or collateral radiation of a specific wavelength and duration, which is accessible to humans under the laser's hazard classification criteria.

Accessible Emission Limit (AEL)
The highest level of accessible emission allowed for a given laser class, calculated as the product of the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) and the area of the limiting aperture.

Active Medium
A group of atoms or molecules capable of emitting laser light via stimulated emission at a specific wavelength.

Afocal
An optical setup without a focal length, where both the input and output appear at infinity.

Aiming Beam
A visible guide beam used in conjunction with an invisible laser (such as infrared), often to help with targeting in surgical or industrial settings.

Amplification
The increase in intensity of light within the laser cavity, as photons stimulate more emissions while bouncing between mirrors.

Amplitude
The height of a light wave measured from the midpoint to its peak, representing the wave's maximum value.

Angle of Incidence
The angle formed between a beam of light and a line perpendicular to the surface it strikes.

Angstrom Unit
A non-SI unit of length (10^-10 meters), historically used to measure wavelengths of light but now largely replaced by the nanometer.

Anode
A positively charged electrode that attracts electrons; used in the electrical excitation of laser gases.

Aperture
An opening through which laser radiation can exit or pass.

Apparent Visual Angle
The calculated angular size of a light source from the perspective of the eye, not to be confused with beam divergence.

AR Coatings (Antireflection Coatings)
Thin-film optical coatings applied to lenses or windows to minimize reflection and enhance transmission.

Argon
A noble gas used in gas lasers, emitting primarily blue-green light at 488 and 514 nm.

Articulated Arm
A delivery system for CO₂ lasers consisting of tubes and mirrors that maintain beam alignment while allowing movement.

Attenuation
The reduction in laser beam energy as it passes through an absorbing or scattering substance.

Autocollimator
An optical instrument that combines the functions of a telescope and a collimator to measure small angular deviations.

Average Power
The total energy output divided by the exposure time, often expressed in watts.

Aversion Response
An involuntary reaction, such as blinking or turning the head, to avoid bright or harmful light; occurs within 0.25 seconds.

Axial-Flow Laser
A laser in which gas flows along the axis of the tube to replace molecules depleted during operation.

Axicon Lens
A conical lens that, when paired with a standard lens, focuses light into a ring rather than a point.

Axis, Optical Lens
The central line of an optical system, running through the centers of curvature of its surfaces.

Beam
A stream of light rays that may be parallel, converging, or diverging.

Beam Bender
A device containing mirrors or other optical elements used to change the direction of a laser beam.

Beam Diameter
The width of a laser beam, typically defined at the point where intensity falls to 1/e (about 37%) or 1/e² (13.5%) of its peak.

Beam Divergence
The angular spread of a laser beam over distance, measured in milliradians.

Beam Expander
An optical tool that enlarges beam diameter and reduces divergence, often consisting of two lenses.

Beam Splitter
An optical device that uses partial reflection to divide one laser beam into two.

Blink Reflex
An automatic eyelid response to bright light; a subset of the aversion response.

Brewster Windows
Optical windows set at Brewster’s angle in gas lasers to reduce reflection and promote polarization.

Brightness
The perceived intensity of a light source; closely related to the radiometric concept of radiance.

C.I.E.
The International Commission on Illumination, an authority on light and color measurement.

Calorimeter
An instrument that measures the heat generated by absorbing laser energy.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
A common gas laser medium emitting far-infrared light at 10.6 µm, widely used in industrial applications.

Cathode
A negatively charged electrode that emits electrons to excite the laser medium.

Closed Installation
A controlled environment where laser operations are restricted to trained and protected personnel.

CO₂ Laser
A powerful gas laser using CO₂ as the active medium; widely used in cutting, welding, and medical applications.

Coaxial Gas
A gas stream aligned with the laser beam to protect the workpiece, remove debris, and prevent oxidation.

Coherence
A property of laser light in which waves are in phase both spatially and temporally.

Collimated Light
Light whose rays are parallel, resulting in a narrow, focused beam over long distances.

Collimation
The process of aligning light rays to be parallel.

Combiner Mirror
A mirror used to merge multiple laser beams of different wavelengths into a single path.

Continuous Mode
Laser operation controlled by the user, with energy emission maintained until turned off manually.

Continuous Wave (CW)
Uninterrupted laser output at a steady power level.

Controlled Area
A restricted zone around a laser where access is limited to trained personnel during operation.

Convergence
The bending of light rays toward one another, typically by a convex lens.

Corrected Lens
A multi-element lens designed to minimize optical aberrations.

Crystal
A structured solid with uniform atomic arrangement, used as a laser medium in systems like ruby or Nd:YAG lasers.

Current Regulation
A method of stabilizing laser output by maintaining a constant electrical current.

Current Saturation
The maximum current that a laser can conduct before additional input ceases to increase output.

CW (Continuous Wave)
Abbreviation for continuous wave operation.

Depth of Field
The range over which a laser beam remains in effective focus.

Depth of Focus
The allowable axial distance within which a focused laser spot maintains constant intensity.

Dichroic Filter
A specialized filter that selectively transmits certain wavelengths while reflecting others.

Diffraction
The bending of light waves around obstacles or through small apertures, causing a spread in the beam.

Diffuse Reflection
Scattering of light in many directions from a rough surface, unlike specular (mirror-like) reflection.

Diffuser
A material or device that scatters light evenly to produce a uniform illumination pattern.

Divergence
The widening of a laser beam over distance.

Dosimetry
Measurement of laser energy or power applied to a surface or tissue.

DPSS (Diode-Pumped Solid State)
A laser that uses a diode laser to energize a solid-state medium.

Drift
Unwanted variation in laser output due to temperature or electrical instability.

Angular Drift
Unintentional shifts in beam direction during operation.

Duty Cycle
The ratio of laser on-time to total time in pulsed systems.

Electric Vector
The component of an electromagnetic wave that defines the direction and amplitude of its electric field.

Electromagnetic Radiation
Energy emitted as waves of varying electric and magnetic fields traveling at light speed.

Electromagnetic Spectrum
The full range of electromagnetic frequencies, from radio waves to gamma rays.

Electromagnetic Wave
A self-propagating disturbance composed of electric and magnetic fields.

Electron
A negatively charged subatomic particle.

Embedded Laser
A laser embedded within a product that limits exposure through engineering controls.

Emergent Beam Diameter
The width of the laser beam at its output aperture, measured where the intensity falls to a certain level.

Emission
The release of energy in the form of light or electromagnetic radiation.

Emissivity
A measure of a material’s ability to emit radiant energy.

Emittance
The rate at which radiation is emitted from a source.

Enclosed Laser Device
A laser system fully enclosed to prevent hazardous radiation exposure.

Energy
The capacity to do work, often expressed in joules when referring to laser output.

Energy (Q)
The total energy delivered by a laser pulse, measured in joules.

Energy Source
The method used to excite the laser medium, such as electricity, light, or chemical reaction.

Enhance Pulsing
A technique to produce an intense initial laser pulse, useful in precision applications.

Etalon
A device made of parallel reflective surfaces used to filter specific wavelengths in a laser.

Excimer
A laser that emits ultraviolet light using reactive gas mixtures.

Excitation
The process of energizing a laser medium to a higher state.

Excited State
A temporary higher energy state of an atom or molecule.

Exempted Laser Product
A laser device exempt from specific regulations due to built-in safety features.

Extended Source
A light-emitting area large enough to form a resolvable image, unlike a point source.