The blue 5mw laser pointer is one of the newest lasers to hit the market. They started to appear around 2006 and are constructed very similar to the way green lasers are that came before it.  They follow the DPSS, or diode pumped solid state, that produces a beam at 946 nm. It is split before leaving the pen to 473 nm.

There is a company that is producing a blue laser with an InGaN semiconductor. This is capable of producing a blue laser at 450 nm without the need for splitting the beam. This beam is seen by the human eye readily since it is a shorter wavelength than the red laser. It is visible even when bright lights are on.

To be classified as a blue laser, the beam that is emitted must be between 360 and 480 nm.  Closer to the upper range, the color appears to be violet and the wavelength is shorter. This range is generally anything above 405 nm.

The production of these blue lasers is increasing, and the diodes are becoming less expensive, which is reducing the cost of this product. The uses for this new laser are in the telecommunications industry, information technology, environmental monitoring, electronic equipment, medical diagnoses, as well as for lecturers and presentations.  The most promising is in the optoelectronic data storage devices.

When they first hit the market, the price of a blue laser was over $100. Today, they can be found significantly cheaper because the raw material cost have been reduced. The blue 5mw laser pointer is just like any other pointer. Prolonged exposure to the human retina can cause permanent damage, so use with caution.