For self-education I decided to take apart a presumably defunct DVD laser
unit to see the internal layout of splitters etc and what the laser diode
looks like. Googling in images I only find graphics or external views,
anyone know of a WWW view through the window of some good laser diodes ?.
Looking via x30 at what I assume to be the active surface is a uniform grey
colour and uniform crystalline appearance rectangular face (ie no obvious
hot spot/s) like a finer grained version of a fractured surface of cast
aluminium or monkey metal.
Is this the infamous Catastrophic Optical Damage ?
This one has a marking of RH on the body.