Re: quality laser goggles?
by minerva on Wed May 22, 2013 1:35 am
Thor Labs is alright for relatively low priced research-grade optics hardware.
Remember, if you want "real quality" laser safety glasses they're going to be a couple of hundred bucks each at least.
And you need to choose the right glasses for the laser wavelengths you're specifically working with, there's no "one size fits all" attenuation spectrum (unless you want opaque glasses :) )
And there is a realistic limit to how much energy flux can be dissipated in the glasses without destroying them, eg. glasses are pointless if you directly hit them with a 40W laser beam because it'll just burn straight through the glasses. Aaah ze goggles do nuthink.
Also worth remembering that depending on what wavelength you're working with, laser safety glasses can make it impossible to read LED displays, indicator LEDs etc. for example if you've got visible red or green or blue LEDs and you're working with lasers close to that wavelength and your glasses are attenuating out that spectrum then they make those lights impossible to see at all!