What are the discerning properties that distinguish them; determining their different characteristics?
In other words, I'm trying to do a compare / contrast:
- What do they have in common?
- How are they different?
Electronic – What’s the difference between a laser diode and ordinary LED
diodeslaserlaser-diodeledlight
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Best Answer
Laser diodes use an optical resonant cavity which when injected with light above the "Lasing threshold" generates orders of magnitude more light than injected by the high Q resonance. A integrated PD detects the output so that it must be regulated to avoid out of control heat rise. A thick metal case is essential to dissipate the heat and higher power.
Natural effects of high Q emission of photons include coherence of the light with low jitter, whereas LEDs are low Q vibrations of band-gap vibrations resulting in incoherent phonon emissions of light.
Lasers are currently about 30% efficient whereas LEDs are currently up to 70% efficient.