In consumer electronics, diode lasers power devices like laser pointers, barcode scanners, and optical drives, benefiting from their small size and low power needs. A laser pointer or laser pen is a (typically battery-powered) handheld device that uses a laser diode to emit a narrow low-power visible laser beam (i. coherent light) to highlight something of interest with a small bright colored spot. The beam may be focused with lenses. Most laser pointers, particularly the cheap ones, contain a small GaInP/AlGaInP laser diode operating somewhere in the red spectral region, a. A laser diode is a cool component that you can do a lot of fun stuff with, from engraving wood to creating a light show or giving your robot eyes! They range from super cheap (or even free if you can find one in an old CD player!) to more expensive.
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