The main kinds of lasers are solid state lasers, gas lasers and liquid lasers. A solid, liquid, gas or semiconductor can act whilst the laser medium.
Solid state lasers are produced with hard materials like garnet or ruby. Solid state lasers are used for detecting ecological pollution, in scientific researches and a great many other applications. Solid state lasers have laser emitting materials arranged in solid matrix. Examples for solid state lasers will be 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 by which an electric energy is passed via a gas to make light. In the early days gas lasers used a variety of helium and neon with carbon dioxide. At present gas lasers may 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 selection of colors, mainly in the visible the main spectrum. Dye lasers are excellent for applications by which a certain color is required Certified Lasers. Another laser source such as copper vapor laser is employed to excite the dye. Liquid lasers may be tuned over a broad selection of wavelengths.
Excimer lasers are generated by utilizing gases like fluorine and chlorine in combination with other gases such as krypton, argon or xenon. Excimer lasers are very useful for the medical profession. To regulate the wavelength of the lasers compound natural dyes are employed extensively.
Semiconductor lasers are usually very small devices and use only low power. Semiconductor lasers will also be known as diode lasers. The writing sources in a few CD players and in a few laser printers are examples for this. Semiconductor lasers are very useful for electronic devices like CD players, laser printers etc.