The main types of lasers are solid state lasers, gas lasers and liquid lasers. A solid, liquid, gas or semiconductor can act while the laser medium.

Solid state lasers are produced with hard materials like garnet or ruby. Solid state lasers are employed for detecting ecological pollution, in scientific researches and a number of other applications. Solid state lasers have laser emitting materials arranged in solid matrix. Examples for solid state lasers are the ruby or neodymium-Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) lasers. The lasing materials are pumped with flashlights, making the laser give either pulsed or continuous beam of light.

Gas lasers are lasers in which an electric energy is passed through a gas to produce light. In the early days gas lasers used a combination of helium and neon with carbon dioxide. At present gas lasers can use more strong and volatile mediums like hydrogen and fluorine. Gas lasers have great military applications. The cutting of hard materials becomes easy through gas lasers.

Liquid lasers or dye lasers utilize liquid organic dyes. These emit a wide, continuous selection of colors, mainly in the visible area of the spectrum. Dye lasers are excellent for applications in which a certain color is required Certified Lasers. Another laser source such as copper vapor laser is employed to excite the dye. Liquid lasers may be tuned over a wide selection of wavelengths.

Excimer lasers are generated by using gases like fluorine and chlorine in combination with other gases such as krypton, argon or xenon. Excimer lasers are very ideal for the medical profession. To modify the wavelength of the lasers compound natural dyes are employed extensively.

Semiconductor lasers are often very small devices and use only low power. Semiconductor lasers will also be referred to as diode lasers. The writing sources in a few CD players and in a few laser printers are examples for this. Semiconductor lasers are very ideal for electronics like CD players, laser printers etc.