Optical Characteristics of CO 2 & Nd:YAG Lasers 

Electro-magnetic Spectrum: Nd:YAG and Carbon Dioxide lasers emit radiation at different wavelengths. Fundamentally, the 1.064 micron wavelength of the Nd:YAG is an order of magnitude shorter than the 10.6 micron radiation from a Carbon Dioxide laser. In materials processing, the shorter wavelength of the Nd:YAG couples better to metal while the longer Carbon Dioxide wavelength is more suitable for cutting plastics, ceramics and other organic materials. The electro-magnetic spectrum below shows where the Nd:YAG and CO2 laser emissions are located relative to other lasers and radiation sources.