Ever consider a R,G,B knife edged PCB combined to make white on a triangle shaped rod

[Laser57]

Has anyone here ever considered building a R,G,B knife edge PCB cube combined laser to make white by mounting the optics on a triangle shaped platform? I'm wondering if this can be done on a 120 degree triangle rod, placing knife edges on each side and have the triangle sloped to get smaller on one end to bring the beams closer together? If you have any tips on how this can be done, or gotchas to put this idea in the dumpster, please let me know.



Thanks!

[swamidog]

spec did this a long time ago. check out his gallery, i think he has pictures.

Has anyone here ever considered building a R,G,B knife edge PCB cube combined laser to make white by mounting the optics on a triangle shaped platform? I'm wondering if this can be done on a 120 degree triangle rod, placing knife edges on each side and have the triangle sloped to get smaller on one end to bring the beams closer together? If you have any tips on how this can be done, or gotchas to put this idea in the dumpster, please let me know.

Thanks!

[Laser57]

I looked in the gallery section and under his profile trying to find the photo's but so far am at a loss.

[buffo]

spec did this a long time ago.

Are you talking about the axicon project? I think Steve Roberts (MixedGas) still has some of the data from that...

Adam

[Laser57]

Mostly, I am wondering if using a long three sided 120 degree triangle shaped piece of metal to mount knife edges on each side of the triangle, if it comes close to a point on one end (so all three sides slope together at the pointed end of the long triangle platform), whether optics can be used to straiten the individual beam products from the individual knife edge combined outputs to all be parallel and as close together as a single knife edge array in one plane can produce and how best to do such, what method works best, if it is a reasonable approach. The symmetry of such an arrangement intrigues me!

Other than that, I have one more need for advice; is the mounting of the diode blocks and mirror mounts on the knife edge platform with glue ok for everything? As long as I use thermal conductive epoxy like arctic silver sells for the diode mounts or holders? I have some tiny 9mm diode blocks from lasertack.com which are only 15mm tall and some 12.5mm wide X-Y Newport kinematic mirror mounts I want to use on my knife edge project, I've never tried anything like this before.

[swamidog]

Are you talking about the axicon project? I think Steve Roberts (MixedGas) still has some of the data from that...

Adam

yes. i know spec had photos somewhere. it worked, but i think he lost some hair setting it up.

[logsquared]

I think I may have something similar to what you're looking for. Check this post http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ghlight=axicon

[swamidog]

this is the picture i was referring to:

http://photonlexicon.com/gallery/v/u...geViewsIndex=1

[Laser57]

Those do look like they are coming in at something other than 90 degrees apart from one another into that cube, I didn't think that would work unless the beams were exactly 90 degrees apart to input three sides of the cube. Maybe I'm not seeing things right?

Edit: I think I see some optics right next to the cube now which straitens the beams out before entering.

[mixedgas]

I had them made of precision optical glass in order to be precise enough and to avoid the offset of the mirror thickness. Its not as easy as it sounds, because the beams must be incredibly close to the tip for the beams to appear to converge. They never really converge except for a small region down range. That region is set by the feed angle. Commercial users do not use these for collimated beams, they have other uses in power combining optical systems.

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Keep in mind, There is a ACTIVE US PATENT on the concept. You can make one for your own personal use per patent law, but any commercial sales will not be tolerated by the patent holder.



Steve