C02 laser cutter, light is produced when electricity runs through a gas-filled tube with mirrors at both ends. ... These mirrors guide the laser beam into the material that is to be cut. The gas is typically a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium.a carbon dioxide laser work? Carbon dioxide laser beams penetrate the top skin layers reaching into the dermis. It creates tiny microscopic areas of thermal damage that stimulate new collagen production and replace damaged skin surface by new epidermal cells.