I'm bored... OPSL Question

[Bradfo69]

Believe it or not, I'm sitting here at work bored and lamenting the fact there isn't a lot of good new reading material here on PL so, I figured I'd ask a question.

OPSL

I really don't know much about it except that the things are stupid expensive and, all the pro companies look down their noses at people with diode projectors and if you're going to be "the shit" you have to have OPSL. Suddenly you're in the world of $50,000 laser projectors. I guess that the advantage is that it's the closest thing to a tight, low mR beam like gas, without all the high power and water constraints. In the end, are they "really" all that much better? Or is it just a lot of prick waving over something that's got marginally better specs? I read about a couple peoples specs and a 3mm beam with 1.5mR divergence still doesn't get me all hot and bothered. Wasn't Edison doing much better than that with diodes? Hell... aren't several people like planters doing better that that with diodes?

How about longevity and what's the chance that as time marches on, they'll drop in price or be replaced by "the next big thing?" Sounds like they can be finicky and they need to be serviced frequently. I'm just sort of wondering if OPSL is really "all that". Never seen one in person.

[KANG]

I'm not familiar with OPSL since I'm still new to the laser scene, but I don't see how much of a difference it would make in a show to the public eye especially if it is just for show use, maybe it is better for big company advertising use or medical/military... Just my thought.

[mixedgas]

If you saw what three single color projectors with each with a three watt orange-yellow OPSL did for an outdoor beam show for a 500 person audience, you'd understand. Has to be seen to be understood.

Professionally installed, with the right driver and power supply, their lifetime to 50% power is far better then DPSS

Having a forth color really opens up the color gamut.

Steve

[sbk]

1. Keep the beam diameter small with low divergence (way better than 3mm/1.5mrad you specified) => use of small mirrors, faster scanners
2. Think about >20W of bright green 532nm in a single tight beam combined with PBS instead of a bunch of stacked diodes
3. Marvelous colors available in multi-watt power, especially yellow, oranges, etc... Unlikely to be seen with diodes, but who know
4. Compact, uniform architecture for all wavelengths
5. The only way to have bright red 639nm at >5W with really good beam specs, 2mm/1mrad (but way too expensive)
6. Nuff said, time to go sleeping

[danielbriggs]

How about longevity and what's the chance that as time marches on, they'll drop in price or be replaced by "the next big thing?" Sounds like they can be finicky and they need to be serviced frequently. I'm just sort of wondering if OPSL is really "all that". Never seen one in person.

The exact opposite.
They won't drop in price (much, if at all) in fact they recently went up in price very slightly.
Finicky? Nope.
Serviced? Nope.

As much as it pains me to say this, OPSL's do not exist for the display market; it's incidental almost (as with most laser technologies).
The design philosophy from the very start was/is "a laser wavelength by design", due to the way semiconductor structure is designed, you can more or less get any wavelength you want, and slap a doubler x-tal in there (exceptions for orange-red Re: Pr:YLF).
Why?
Applications which need specific wavelengths, from big, old, power hungry, expensive ions, are now being replaced with small, new, power efficient, expensive OPSLs.
Coherent can make any wavlength they deem there is a suitable market for (for scientific/medical uses etc.)
It's no coincidence the main wavelengths they are available in are: 460nm, 480nm, 488nm, 514nm, 532m, 561nm, 577nm, 590nm, 607nm, 639nm...
I'll let you all tell me which is wavelength is primarily used for.

I'd be very very surprised if there's been over 2,000 total sold in the world for display purposed.


Any just so this isn't all hot air... here was the last 530nm I integrated into something



Reasons why there used in high end show lasers?
SBK nailed it.

3mm/1.5mRad is very poor for an OPS, and doesn't sound like it's been collimated properly / or the wrong spec.


Edit: They are mighty, mighty nice though

[Bradfo69]

The lack of them in the market would explain why I haven't seen one / seen one used in person. I can see how the odd wavelengths over what we're used to would come into play for colors as well. And yes, 20 watts of green that's not a Laserscope with all it's inherent issues, I can see being worthwhile too.

[Vidal Wolf]

Taipan OPSLs are very nice.