We all know that laser diodes are widely used in daily life, and many people mistakenly think that light-emitting diodes are laser diodes, but in fact they are not. Today, the editor will talk about the difference between laser diodes and light-emitting diodes

1. Different principles

LED light emitting diode: When electrons and holes combine, they randomly emit photons, which have random directions and phases, just like a group of people speaking at the same time, no one can hear each other clearly. So, the light emitted by the LED is "scattered", bright or bright, but the direction cannot be controlled.

Laser diode (LD): It is different, it has a "resonant cavity", like a training field, to train photons neatly: the same pace, the same direction, the same energy. So the light that comes out is a 'laser', straight and bright, with concentrated energy.

LED is flexible, while LD is uniform.

2. The appearance of light: one scattered, one straight

LED: Light is scattered, with a large angle of divergence, just like a flashlight that scatters light and shines everywhere. Suitable for lighting and display screens.

LD: Light is straight, almost parallel, like a laser pointer, hitting a straight line. Extremely directional, able to 'hit far and accurately'.

3. Spectral width: one wide, one narrow

LED: Wide spectrum, available in tens of nanometers, with natural color transitions. For example, white LED relies on a mixture of doped materials and fluorescent powder for light.

LD: Narrow spectrum, down to sub nanometer level, with excellent monochromaticity.

4. Brightness and energy

LED: Limited brightness, usually at the milliwatt level, sufficient for use as indicator lights, display screens, and car lights.

LD: That's much more powerful, ranging from milliwatts to several watts, tens of watts, and even hundreds of watts. Industrial processing, medical surgery, and communication light sources all rely on it.

5. Application scenarios

LED: Your light bulb, TV, traffic signal lights, and car lights are all its territory.

LD (QSI Laser Diode): It is indispensable for fiber optic communication, laser radar, surgical knives, industrial cutting, military weapons, and even scientific research equipment.

Although both names contain "diode", there is a big difference between LED and LD.

LED: astigmatic, flexible, limited brightness, used for illumination and display.

LD (QSI Laser Diode): Laser, with strong directionality and high energy, is a core device in communication, industry, medical, and scientific research.