Continuous laser power?

[lynkynpark86]

I'm working on a laser security system, and I have most of it figured out, except for this: Can I keep a laser plugged in for long periods of time without damage to the laser, it's surroundings, or the object it's pointed at? It'd be a low-power one, like on presentation remotes. Also, how much power would this use?

 

[(*steve*)]

The laser (assuming it isn't overdriven and gets hot) will operate for tens of thousands of hours. Consider CD, DVD and Blueray players which read the media using lasers.

A laser rated at under a couple of mW will require perhaps 50 to 100mW of power to drive it. (I've never actually checked -- I'm embarrassed to say -- but they run for quite a while from teeny tiny batteries)

 

[john monks]

Laser

Red lasers, 660nm, generally get weaker through time. So you probably want to use in infra-red laser 1100-1550nm and in the pulsed mode You might consider using about 1uS pulse width with a 1mS period. This will keep the beam invisible and will last for many thousands of hours or even decades. And the beam can be distinguished from ambient light.