Selection Guide

Lasers

To make the best informed choice, see the table below. It lists laser education applications and the best laser choice for a particular use. The top row lists all of our major laser product categories. In general, Helium-Neon (He-Ne) lasers are the preferred choice if you require long coherence length and wavelength stability for optical interformetric experiments. Diode lasers are the best choice for communications experiments.

Experiments/Model	IF-RL	IF-VL	IF-UL	IF-HN	IF-HNM*
Type	Diode	Diode	Diode	He-Ne	Helium-Neon Modulated
Refraction & Reflection	$	$$	$$	$	$$
Lens	$	$$	$$	$	$
Beam Convergence Divergence	$	$$	$$	$	$$
Diffraction	N/R	N/R	N/R	$	$$
Polarization	Linear polarization	Linear polarization	Linear polarization	Random polarization	Random polarization
Holography	N/R	N/R	N/R	$	$$
Perimeter Security	$	$$	$$	$**	$$**
Light Shows	$	$$	$$	$	$$
Voice Communications	$	N/R	$$ Most versatile	N/S	$
Baseband Video Transmission	N/S	$	N/S	N/S	N/S
RF Video Transmission	N/S	N/S	Best choice	N/S	N/S

$ Best laser value for the application
$$ Laser is well suited to application, but other, lower priced, alternatives exist
N/S Not suitable
N/R Not recommended for holography and diffraction experience
* HNM - HE-Ne Laser - Modulated
** The higher the laser's power, the quicker the exposure