Introduction

Well, we are going to do something a little bit different this time around. As a second hobby and with holding a degree in lighting and optics, we decided to do review on a new product that has been popping up and around LAN parties and huge gaming events all over the world. Known as Greenies these products are becoming more and more popular with gaming communities and special events, so to put two and two together, welcome to the wonderful world of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Or simply put, we are looking into the Laser technology and did partner with Wicked Lasers to provide extra information and to show on of their powerful laser applications.

Wicked Lasers, the green laser specialists, as you guessed, specializes in the most advanced DPSS laser technology, and doing so providing some of the most elite compact portable laser modules available. Established in 2003, with over 20 highly trained technicians and employees, Wicked Lasers offers pointers and modules ranging from 5 mW to 125 mW and their latest milestone of the worlds most powerful portal laser coming in at a record breaking 450 mW of green laser power. With the Headquarter in Shanghai, China, Wicked Lasers designs and manufactures a full range of handheld laser products and accessories. Through their focus and drive to create the brightest and most intense handheld lasers, Wicked Lasers has become the world's leading online laser retailer.

Speaking of record breaking lasers, Wicked Lasers has set new standards in compact portable laser designs and proves it once again with the worlds most powerful portal DPSS laser pens in the world. Producing a mind blowing 450 mW pen, Wicked Lasers manufactured and sold the worlds most powerful laser pen in existence. For those who missed out, will Wicked Lasers produce another record breaker? Only time will tell...

Wicked Lasers are not modified, tweaked or hand tuned to reach there power ratings. Each laser is manufactured to the specifications for which they are rated. Absolutely no modifications or aftermarket tweaking has been performed on these pens. Unlike the competition, Wicked Lasers are built and designed to exacting specifications and offers one of the best warranty and return policies in the business.

To compliment the laser products, Wicked Lasers offers a full 90 day warranty in the event of a problem or malfunction. You may return the laser within seven days for a full refund minus shipping costs and a 0% restocking fee. You may return the laser for any reason between seven and 45 days for a full refund minus shipping costs and a 15% restocking fee. Let's take a look at what makes Wicked Lasers, so wicked!

DPSS Function & Theory 101

Diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) microchip lasers combines the beam quality of a gas laser and the small size and efficiency of a diode laser. DPSS lasers consist of a semiconductor diode laser, which is used to optically pump a small chip of lasing material, typically neodymium-doped YAG. This generates a fundamental frequency (e.g., 1064 nm). To obtain a certain frequency or color output such as green light (e.g., 532 nm), a frequency-doubling crystal is inserted into the laser cavity. Finally, beam conditioning optics are added to enlarge and collimate the beam. Below is an example illustration of this process. Let's take a look...

The diode fires a frequency of cohesive emissions of photons at a focusing lens which concentrates a beam of 808 nm infra-red light into a Nd:YVO4 YAG crystal increasing the 808 nm wavelength infra-red light to the 1064 nm spectrum. Continuing through the barrel the 1064 nm wavelength of invisible light is conditioned again with the KTP crystal. The KTP crystal is comprised of synthesized Potassium-titanyl-phosphate minerals, grown into a synthetic crystal machined into a gemstone quality finish and acts as frequency doublers, facilitating optical parametric generation and optical beam conversion. The KTP crystal in effect will double the wavelength of 1064 nm and convert the beam into the green spectrum of visible light at the frequency of 532 nm (nanometer).

At this point, the beam while still in the optical train, the beam is highly saturated with infra-red wavelength (e.g., 808 nm). To get rid of the destructive frequencies of infra-red, the beam is passed into an infra-red filter, filtering out the 808 nm wavelength from the beam conversion process. Finally, once the 532 nm light has been filtered from most of the 808 nm infra-red, the beam is focused with a final optical lens as it completes its barrel journey and the resulting laser beam fires out of the aperture. The above product schematics illustrates the components of the Wicked Lasers Extreme Series Phoenix 80 mW DPSS green laser technology.