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Mushroom-Hut Shop: Liquid Cultures

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Home-built laser
    #1434859 -

Has anyone ever tried building one? Any success?

I've recently taken on the task of building my own. CO2 seems to be the easiest lasing medium to use, but for a first-time I kind of want something a little LESS powerful and with output in the visible spectrum. Any suggestions on a type I could start with?


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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: trendal]
    #1435021 -

I built one many years ago (was trying holographic photography) it worked well, but the tube didn't last very long. I probably overheated it or something.
You might want to look into a laser diode in the visible range. The pulse supply would probably be less expensive too.

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: trendal]
    #1435425 -

laser diodes are quick & easy...
helium/neon gas tubes are in the visible range, & ya get to fiddle with the mirrors & all that (are you gonna blow your own glass & mix the gas & evacuate the tube, or buy the tube & optics ready-made?)...
organic dye/tunable lasers are a possibility as well...
optically pumped ruby-crytals are archaic, but still feasible (& you could use most of the same components as a maser, fwiw)
~
the public library has a few books on laser building & projects (or can get 'em for you thru interlibrary loan service), & there is an old (but still servicable) _scientific american_ reprint book on laser building & projects (modulating the beam for audio/video/data links; home holography, stuff like that...)
(& then there's the project that uses 4 speakers attached to a mirror & driven by a stereo system to make pretty laser-lissajous patterns on a wall or screen...
~
~


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old enough to know better
not old enough to care

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: gnrm23]
    #1435750 -

Well I was thinking of either purchasing a Nd:YAG laser diode, or building another type (gas/dye) completely from scratch.

I'm one of those guys who has to do as MUCH of the actual construction as possible.

Buy all the parts? Pffft  :smirk:

From what I've read, Nd:YAG lasers look like a good starting point, as they can run at fairly safe power levels (1mW) and also can output in green. I like green lasers for some reason  :smirk:


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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: trendal]
    #1435764 -

what the fuck is it for?

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: ]
    #1435885 -

Dunno. Just woke up one day with the urge to build a laser. Plus I've never built one before.  :smirk:


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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free.
But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

Edited by trendal (04/07/03 11:08 AM)

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: trendal]
    #1437044 -

I built an edible laser when I was in HS. It was actually a nitrogen gas laser, which lases in the UV range. Because the UV wavelength is so small, compared to red or infrared, the need for optics is removed. Jello, with sodium florescene die (both edible, non-toxic) is pumped with UV and lases in the visible light range.

I got the instructions for this contraption out of an old Scientific America article, I think. Probably have to go back 20 to 30 years now to find it. They are very easy to build, pretty cheap, and fun to play with... just don't blind yourself. UV light is invisible to our eyes and can easily reflect when you least expect it.


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Just another spore in the wind.

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Re: Home-built laser [Re: Seuss]
    #1439275 -

Nice twist... Food that can cook the chef :wink:

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Mushroom-Hut Shop: Liquid Cultures

General Interest > Science and Technology
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