Pulsed Dye Laser

[planters]

Finally!

I just uploaded a new video. The project I am working on is to construct an extremely powerful flash lamp pumped dye laser. I began several months ago with the conversion of a couple of small Cynosure medical dye lasers to allow them to operate in a lab. After replacing the power supplies and removing much of the medically related hardware I started to upgrade the system for the next stage where substantially more power will be generated. This next stage will significantly alter the operation and so it seemed best to make this video now.

I have already designed the third stage, tested some of the fabrication techniques and begun to order components. This beast will look nothing like the medical unit even when that unit is souped up, but will share the same sub-systems such as the pumps and filters and will use the same power supply (way overbuilt). There will be more videos to follow. I hope you enjoy it. I will link to it soon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1MtBL6WzdQ

[Laserman532]

I watched the entire video. Very informative and appears you grasp dye technology (at least flash pumped dye and the chemistry and physics behind it). I am more of a "flowing dye very high rep rate" (MHZ mode locked, sync pumped, picosecond pulsed kind of background from the old school and old days) I also understand the quest of knowledge merely for the quest. What is the end result? What are the goals when completed? Who funds your "time"? Do you plan to introduce a better mouse trap? Don't take this wrong...I love the days when I could "tinker" in a well equipped lab under someone else's wallet. I am impressed with your abilities to RE a current system and grasp the workings...but my biggest question is... why?

seriously...NO offense implied...

[Fearless]

My very first laser that I made back in 1972 was based on an article in the Amature Scientist "Tunable Dye Laser", Scientific American, February, 1970, pg. 116. Eric, we are all boys at heart. I'm getting ready to post my boyhood dream of building a laser robot

[swamidog]

Gort, Klaatu Barada Nikto!

My very first laser that I made back in 1972 was based on an article in the Amature Scientist "Tunable Dye Laser", Scientific American, February, 1970, pg. 116. Eric, we are all boys at heart. I'm getting ready to post my boyhood dream of building a laser robot

[Fearless]

That and a 20 watt RGB laser coming out his visor.

[planters]

Rick,
That is really starting to look like something I saw in a movie, once. Let me think... But, really that IS looking fantastic. I thought, what about one of those huge Tesla coils behind him and then I thought again, diode lasers and one million volts?

Pat,

.but my biggest question is... why?

seriously...NO offense implied...

No offense taken, but if you have to ask...I think It's interesting how someone can be interested in lasers at both ends. When you see a mode locked pulse train that's neat and a Laserscope burning a hole in a 2x4 that's neat as well. That tiny little unit I demonstrated will throw a fat orange beam into a forest that is MOMENTARILY brighter than a Laserscope with only around 300 J of input. I know how to increase the output by maybe as much as 2 orders of magnitude and reduce the divergence by an order of magnitude. I want to see if I can. And, I think someone who sees the video will have a much better understanding of what is going on and that's fun as well.

[dsli_jon]

...and a 20 watt RGB laser coming out his visor...

Naah, you need either Dual 30Ws of Blu, ie: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...213#post302213 or 10-12W of 640, ie: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...7&d=1291643875 et, coming out that visor.. Or, sure.. 50-60W of KTP, ok fine.. But, ya know.. Beams that pop *tires*, not just balloons..

..Posting to trak, and.. @ Swami, LOL at yer 'nu title'... Perfect!..
j

[Laserman532]

Rick,
That is really starting to look like something I saw in a movie, once. Let me think... But, really that IS looking fantastic. I thought, what about one of those huge Tesla coils behind him and then I thought again, diode lasers and one million volts?

Pat,




No offense taken, but if you have to ask...I think It's interesting how someone can be interested in lasers at both ends. When you see a mode locked pulse train that's neat and a Laserscope burning a hole in a 2x4 that's neat as well. That tiny little unit I demonstrated will throw a fat orange beam into a forest that is MOMENTARILY brighter than a Laserscope with only around 300 J of input. I know how to increase the output by maybe as much as 2 orders of magnitude and reduce the divergence by an order of magnitude. I want to see if I can. And, I think someone who sees the video will have a much better understanding of what is going on and that's fun as well.

I guess I also should have asked...what is the fastest PRR maintaining optimum power? I always understood these lasers to be low PRR and very short pulses (relatively speaking). I was more or less trying to figure out your application for the end product. carry on...lasers are cool even if low duty cycle

[planters]

For the laser I demonstrated, 4 pps is the max without loosing a lot of power. For the more powerful unit I am building it will almost certainly be the 6kJ power supply that will max out around 1pps. The result would be best if fired through a grating (need a robust grating) to produce a variety of static patterns rather than building up patterns with a flying beam.

[Laserman532]

For the laser I demonstrated, 4 pps is the max without loosing a lot of power. For the more powerful unit I am building it will almost certainly be the 6kJ power supply that will max out around 1pps. The result would be best if fired through a grating (need a robust grating) to produce a variety of static patterns rather than building up patterns with a flying beam.

you could pop a huge balloon at a great distance