The core of a laser is the main body, which contains the critical laser gas mixture. It can be made of metal, ceramic, or glass.
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Metal core lasers are constructed from aluminum and go through a passivation (micro-coating) process during manufacturing, building a thin, dense layer of ceramic on all internal components so there is no metal contact with the gas mixture. They have several advantages over ceramic core lasers:
Cooling
Only part of the electrical energy consumed by a laser is converted to laser power, while the rest of the electrical energy is converted to heat. A CO2 laser’s gas mixture is sensitive to high temperature, and removing excess heat is extremely critical. Metal transfers heat quickly in order to keep the laser mixture at optimal operating temperature whereas ceramic is a relatively poor conductor of heat, making it a less than an optimal choice.
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Broad Power Options
Laser beams with linear polarization can be combined into a single, cross-polarized beam to produce a broader range of power options and deliver superior advantages in laser material processing. In systems compatible with multiple lasers, metal lasers with different power and wavelengths can be combined, sharing the same optical path. Ceramic lasers, however, produce randomly polarized beams that cannot be combined.
Laser Lifetime
While ceramic lasers can provide a reasonably long operational life, they are not designed to be maintained easily due to the direct attachment of the laser resonator optics to the ceramic core, using glue as a bonding and sealing material. Metal core lasers use metal or semiconductor grade elastomeric seals, making them more easily serviceable and reliable. This ultimately extends their useful life indefinitely.
Ultimately, metal core lasers are the best option because they offer broad power options and an unlimited lifetime for a variety of laser material processing applications.
