One of the most obvious differences between a blue laser pointer and a green laser pointer is the price. A 10 mW blue laser pointer costs $700 compared to the price of the equivalent 15 mW green laser pointer which costs $100.
It’s not just blue laser pointers that are more expensive. Blue laser modules, OEM lasers, and lab lasers are also much more expensive than their green counterparts. The reason for such large price differences are the processes used to generate the laser beam, the components used and the manufacturing volumes.
Beam generation process
Both blue and green laser pointers use a pump diode that emits 808nm infrared light that is used to pump the same type of crystals. The pumped crystals, in turn, emit light in the far infrared spectrum. The difference between blue and green lasers is the optical coatings on the pumped crystals and the type of far-infrared light produced by these crystals.
The pumped crystals in a green laser pointer have an optical coating that causes the crystals to emit mostly 1064nm infrared light whose frequency is doubled by another crystal at 532nm green light. The pumped crystals in a blue laser pointer have a different coating that causes the crystals to emit mostly 946nm infrared light, the frequency of which is also doubled by another crystal at 473nm of light.
The components
The process of producing 1064nm light is much more efficient than producing 946nm light, so blue laser pointers need a large pump diode to produce the same power. The larger pump diode makes blue laser pointers more expensive. The frequency doubling crystals in blue laser pointers are rarer and more expensive than those in green laser pointers.
Manufacturing volumes
Green laser pointers have better visibility than blue laser pointers and have fewer temperature issues at higher power levels. This means that green lasers are used for a greater number of diverse applications, such as astronomy, targeting, burning, and signaling, and are manufactured in very high volumes. Blue laser pointers, on the other hand, have a much more limited application and are manufactured in much lower volumes. Like any product, the smaller the volume produced, the more expensive the product.
Item Courtesy of Dragonlasers – #1 Online Store for Lasers, Laser Pointers & Green Lasers