What Is a Laser Diode?

A laser diode is the most common type of laser used and is formed from a semiconductor material.

A diode simply refers to a device that lets electricity run through it in one direction and the laser diode uses this to emit the laser light the user sees.

The laser diode is also known as an injected laser diode or injection laser due to how the electric current used to power it passes through.

When the laser diode is created, a crystal is used and a thin layer of that crystal is purposefully altered to create an area that stays negatively charged and an area that stays positively charged.

The n-type region and p-type region are both important because they allow both electrons and holes, a type of empty area from an electron which the electron will try to recombine with, to travel across the crystal to create the charge that powers the laser.

LEDs, however, are referred to as pumped laser diodes instead of injected laser diodes.

A laser diode works in a similar fashion using electrons and holes to create a charge.