Is it good to use absorption type protection for laser safety glasses?

Nowadays, laser technology is becoming more and more widely used. As a key equipment to protect the eyes from laser radiation damage, people are also advocated: when performing laser operations, laser safety glasses must be worn. Then people will have questions: laser safety glasses have different types such as absorption type, reflection type, and coating. Is it good to use absorption type protection for laser safety glasses? Next, let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages of absorption type laser safety glasses in detail.

1. Advantages of absorption type laser safety glasses

① Good wavelength selectivity

Absorption type laser goggles can be designed for specific laser wavelengths. For example, for the commonly used Nd:YAG laser (wavelength of 1064nm), specific absorbents can be added to the lens material to make it have efficient absorption capacity for 1064nm wavelength lasers. This selective absorption can accurately protect lasers of specific wavelengths and effectively reduce the transmittance of lasers of this wavelength, thereby protecting the eyes from damage. The laser safety glasses of LaserPair are made of absorbent materials that absorb a specific wavelength.

In some multi-wavelength laser application scenarios, such as some optical communication laboratories using 1310nm and 1550nm wavelength lasers at the same time, by reasonably allocating absorbent components, absorptive goggles can be designed to have good absorption effects on these two wavelengths respectively, providing precise protection. The LP-DTY laser safety glassesof LaserPair can protect 1310nm and 1550nm wavelengths at the same time.

② Relatively high visual quality

Absorptive goggles generally do not produce obvious reflected light spots or reflected glare like reflective goggles. Because it mainly absorbs laser energy through the inside of the material, rather than reflecting the laser. This allows the wearer to obtain a relatively clear and comfortable visual experience when observing the laser operation area.

For example, in the field of laser medical beauty, when doctors use laser equipment for skin treatment, wearing absorptive goggles can ensure eye safety while clearly observing the treatment area, and will not affect visual judgment due to reflected light.

③ Good cost-effectiveness

From the perspective of manufacturing cost, the manufacturing process of absorptive laser goggles is relatively mature. Its production process mainly involves adding chemical substances such as absorbents to the basic lens materials, and does not require the use of high-precision coatings or multi-layer structures like some complex reflective or interferometric goggles.

Therefore, in terms of price, absorptive goggles are usually more competitive. For some cost-sensitive application scenarios, such as school physics laboratories, absorptive goggles are an economical choice when students conduct simple laser experiments.

④ High design flexibility

Absorptive goggles can be easily made into various shapes and styles. Its lenses can be processed by injection molding, thermoforming and other processes to meet the requirements of different users for the appearance, size and wearing comfort of goggles.

For example, in some industrial laser processing occasions where goggles need to be worn for a long time, goggles can be designed into ergonomic shapes to reduce the wearer's fatigue. At the same time, anti-fog, anti-scratch and other coatings can be added to the lenses to further improve the performance of the goggles.

2. Disadvantages of absorptive laser safety glasses

① Limitations of high-energy laser protection

When facing high-energy-density lasers, absorptive goggles may experience saturated absorption. This is because after absorbing a certain amount of laser energy, the absorbent may reach an absorption saturation state and cannot continue to absorb the laser effectively.

For example, in high-power laser cutting or welding applications, the laser energy density is extremely high. If the absorption capacity of the absorption goggles is insufficient, some lasers may pass through the goggles and cause damage to the eyes.

② Durability issues

As the absorbed laser energy accumulates, the lens material of the absorption goggles may degrade in performance. Long-term absorption of laser energy may cause the lens to discolor, age, or even cause damage such as tiny cracks.

For example, in an environment where high-energy lasers are frequently used, the service life of the absorption goggles may be shorter than expected and need to be replaced more frequently, which increases the cost of use and maintenance workload.

③ Complexity of broadband laser protection

If the laser wavelength range to be protected is very wide, it will be more complicated to use absorption protection. Because in order for the goggles to effectively absorb lasers of multiple different wavelengths, multiple absorbers need to be added, and these absorbers may interfere with each other and affect the absorption effect.

For example, in some scientific research institutions, when using multiple lasers in different bands such as ultraviolet, visible light and infrared at the same time, it is challenging to design an absorptive goggles that can have good absorption effect in the entire band.