Wicked Lasers Executive
Professional Pocket Laser
The laser described in this review is the Executive model, made with DPSS technology, emitting a shining green beam highly visible. The wood box contains the laser and two AAA batteries of 1,5 V (it is advisable to always use good quality alkaline batteries).
The look of the box container is dazzling as the light emitted by a laser. On the top cover is engraved the Wicked Lasers' logo, reproducing the symbol of high power luminous energy.
Batteries must be inserted with the positive polarity towards the outside, after unscrewing the metal cap. All the laser body is in satin-finished metal, tough but light. The activation button is on the laser body, near the light output hole. Speaking about a portable high power tool, a permanent switch in not provided, in order to avoid accidental activations and to preserve the electronic parts from excessive heating.

After closing the batteries cap, the laser is ready to use. But before using it, is necessary to observe some security advices as described in the next paragraph.



DANGERS OF LASER LIGHT
The light produced by the laser can be dangerous because of the great energy concentrated in the emitted beam. A laser beam must not be directed to the eyes regardless from its power or distance. The risk is a sight damage, in some cases in a permanent way. The most powerful lasers are dangerous even if reflected on polished or metallic materials.
To protect the eyes in an effective way we can use specific goggles that absorb the laser radiation: they are similar to sunglasses but use special lens that filter only a kind of laser light. As an example goggles for green lasers have red lens, those for red lasers have blue lens. These goggles have a shape that surround all the visual field and are available for the diffent powers of laser emission.

>>> So, do not use the common sunglasses if you want a shield for laser light, they are nearly useless <<<

Laser devices are marked with labels in order to signal the danger. The symbols, internationally recognized, indicate the power and the type of emitted radiation. Depending on the power of laser, various indications and protection instruments are provided. The most powerful lasers, used to cut metals, can cause burning. Below you can see the basic laser devices classification, with the "classes" of power and the danger type. It is intended as a simplification not recognized by all Countries, in some cases the limitations are more restrictive.

CLASS I Low power lasers or well shielded and inaccessible lasers. They do not constitute a problem also if looked closely, and they are generally safe.
CLASS II Low power lasers with visible emission and continuous power up to 1 mW, or pulsed. Palpebral blink (as a reflex to dazzle) is sufficient to protect the eyes in case of accidental direct observation. Many laser pointers fall into this class.
CLASS IIIA Visible light lasers with a continuous power less than 5 mW and up to five times the Class II limit for pulsed devices. Palpebral blink (as a reflex to dazzle) is sufficient to protect the eyes but is dangerous if aimed to the eyes intentionally. Many laser pointers fall into this class.
CLASS IIIB Lasers emitting visible or invisible light, with power between 5 mW and 500 mW. They are dangerous if looking at direct or reflected beam and can cause sight injuries even for very short exposure. Strongly suggested protection goggles also and above all for infrared emissions. They can ignite small materials and lightly burn.
CLASS IV Lasers that can emit visible or invisible light, with power over 500 mW. They are dangerous as direct, reflected and diffused beam. They cause permanent sight damages and serious skin burn. These lasers can cut and ignite the materials, therefore they must be used only in protected environments.


The same safety indications applied to the human beings, are worth for other living beings. Pointing a laser against an animal is dangerous for its health. To those who want to use the laser as a stars pointer, like aid of the telescope, is recommended to pay attention to the airplanes: a laser beam can be seen by a pilot and constitute a danger.


ACTIVATION AND USE

Using the laser is simple. Press the activation button and instantaneously a beam of shining green light, is emitted from the exit hole. The light of green color is better perceived by the human eye, on equal terms. For this reason a 15 mW green laser projects a visible beam for all its length in the darkness, while a red laser of equal power illuminates only the distant objects.
The best conditions to see the laser light beam are with a light haze. Not casually the laser used in the discotheques need "artificial smoke" to achieve the best results.
The practical applications of a laser as this one are numerous: pure experimentation, gemmology, creative photography (paintings of laser light to design the objects), holography. The success of these experiments is guaranteed by an high degree of spectral purity and a constant and continuous emission of light.


HOW WORKS THE LASER

The word LASER is the acronym of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The operation principle comes from the theory of Albert Einstein on the stimulated radiation (quantistic theory of the emission and the absorption), for which the electrons that are in one excited state (superior level of energy) comes drifted in a less energetic state because of an external stimulus, represented by a photon. In the passage from the energetic level more high to that more low, the energy in excess is given back under form of an equal photon (same phase and wavelength) to what that caused the stimulation. If we supply energy from the outside (as an example light or an electric discharge) and succeed to entrap photons in a confined space, will have an effect of amplification of the process and a massive production of equal photons (pumping process).
In the practice the confinement of photons can happen with two parallel mirrors placed to the edges of an "active material" easy eccitabile (a material with electrons that jump easy from one energetic level to another). One of the two mirrors is slightly transparent and leaves to pass a minimal part of photons. When the luminous stimulation (as an example with a flash) begins, the photons bounce between the mirrors in great number fist to be able to escape through the semi-transparent mirror.
This example describes the simplified operation of the first visible light laser: the ruby laser, in which the stimulation is given by Xenon flash tubes and the photons are generated by a ruby crystal with two mirrors to the opposite sides. Depending on the "optically active" material, various wavelengths are obtained, that can vary from the microwaves to X-rays passing in the spectral field of the visible light.

The visible light lasers are particularly famous because they can be perceived and be directed on sight. Among them the green laser represents the more interesting: very visible from the human eye and relatively simple to obtain with the Laser Diodes.



LASER DIODES

The laser emission diode is a revolutionary electronic component, capable to create laser light in a very compact space. Starting from the LED technology and thanks to a particular "doping", a structure for laser pumping is created. Laser diodes need a greater energy than a common LED and they are more sensitive to power and temperature jolts. But thanks to the reduced dimensions and the mechanical resistance, can be mounted in numerous instruments and can reach emission powers of tens of watts.


 

HOW WORKS DPSS GREEN LASER

The solid state green laser is generally a Diode Pumped Solid State device. Practically, starting from an infrared laser diode, two particular crystals are excited to emit other laser light. The first crystal is realized in Neodymium-doped Yttrium OrthoVanadate and generates coherent light to 1064 nm. The beam comes into a crystal of Potassium Titanyl Phosphate that produces visible laser radiation to 532 nm, together with a big amount of infrared radiation.
The infrared component is filtered and cleaned by a filtering lens placed near the exit hole of the laser. In poor-quality lasers the infrared filter is not perfect, with the risk to have an infrared component very dangerous for for the sight and not shielded by the protection goggles (that only act for the green light).



THE COMPANY AND THE TECHNOLOGY

Founded in 2003 at Shangai China, Wicked Lasersis is a leader in the production of compact and high powered lasers, realized to answer to industrial and military standards. The electronic systems, the laser diodes, the crystals and the optics are selected to obtain the maximum spectral purity and to guarantee a long time duration.
A laser of this kind does not need maintenance for the 5000 and more hours of its operating life.

Beyond to the portable lasers, are available numerous accessories, gadget and lenses to realize optical experiments. Among the accessories, also the protection goggles recommended for hi-power lasers.

CONCLUSIONS

The practical applications of the laser are very numerous. Without laser, the world of fiber optics telecommunications would not exist, many surgical operations would not be possible, the CD players could not work... The industrial applications of lasers and their products offer a great aid to technology progress, with more and more compact and cheap tools.
The laser of this review has strong characteristics of purity and constructive quality in a supercompact size, right to experience the wonders of the coherent light.

Below some useful links:

Producer web site:
http://www.wickedlasers.com/

Green Lasers:
http://www.wickedlasers.com/catalog/Green_Lasers-3-1.html

Red Lasers:
http://www.wickedlasers.com/catalog/Red_Lasers-1-1.html

Blue Lasers:
http://www.wickedlasers.com/catalog/Blue_Lasers-24-1.html

Laser Beams Comparison (diameter and divergence):
http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=
laser_beam_comparison


Images Gallery from the users:
http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php?p=gallery

Laser Accessories (protection goggles and optics):
http://www.wickedlasers.com/catalog/Wicked_Gear-11-1.html


 
Write us if you want a complete test of your products, with images, graphics, research and deepenings. On request we realize user manuals (also in italian), conferences and multimedia presentations.