What are the obstacles to building a pen-sized free-electron laser?

[Radium]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?


Thanks,

Radium

 

[Eeyore]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?

Because electrons aren't really free. They cost lots of money.

Graham

 

[Chuck Grempu]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?

how much power ?

 

[Radium]

how much power ?

The same amount of power used by a conventionaly laser-pointer

 

[[email protected]]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?


Radium

You mean other than the size of stuff like vacuum pumps, high voltage
power supplies, and shielding required to generate a relativistic
electron beam?

 

[[email protected]]

You mean other than the size of stuff like vacuum pumps, high voltage
power supplies, and shielding required to generate a relativistic
electron beam?

Well, to begin with, the size of the accelerator required.

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
[email protected] | chances are he is doing just the same"

 

[[email protected]]

Well, to begin with, the size of the accelerator required.

Not to pick nits, but doesn't that require vacuum pumps, high voltage
power supplies, and shielding?

Well, yeah, there is that pesky enclosure containing the electrons.

 

[Don Klipstein]

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?

Major bigtime vacuum electron tube technology with bigtime high
voltage, with some major magnets.

I surely suspect better chances at esoteric semiconductor devices to do
that job more economically, should you want a laser pointer with
wavelength other than the roughly 650 nm red from diode lasers that some
dollar stores sell!

Heck, DPSS 532 nm green laser pointers (second harmonic of 1064 nm IR Nd
laser line) can be had for under $100 USD. And I suspect that laser
pointers with blue-violet wavelength close to 410 nm and of similar price
are no more than a year or two away - such laser diodes will be used in
the players of the next-generation optical discs that are supposed to hit
the market by the end of 2006!

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])

 

[[email protected]]

Not to pick nits, but doesn't that require vacuum pumps, high voltage
power supplies, and shielding?

Sure. As well as RF cavities, power supplies for those, Steering
magnets (again with power supplies), quadrupoles, sextapoles and all
sorts of poles (again...), and then we get to the undulators.

Well, yeah, there is that pesky enclosure containing the electrons.

Yes, that too And the operators' room with the coffee machine.

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
[email protected] | chances are he is doing just the same"

 

[[email protected]]

Sure. As well as RF cavities, power supplies for those, Steering
magnets (again with power supplies), quadrupoles, sextapoles and all
sorts of poles (again...), and then we get to the undulators.

Yes, that too And the operators' room with the coffee machine.

How many babysitters are needed?

/BAH

 

[C what I mean]

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?

Finding pointer-sized free-electrons!

 

[Radium]

Well, to begin with, the size of the accelerator required.

Is it possible to make vacuum pumps, high-voltage power supplies,
shielding and accelerators that are small enough to fit in a pen-sized
object?

 

[[email protected]]

Is it possible to make vacuum pumps, high-voltage power supplies,
shielding and accelerators that are small enough to fit in a pen-sized
object?

In comic books and scifi movies.

 

[Eeyore]

Is it possible to make vacuum pumps, high-voltage power supplies,
shielding and accelerators that are small enough to fit in a pen-sized
object?

Is it possible to stick an inspection scope up your nose to see if you skull is as
empty as your posts suggest ?

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

In comic books and scifi movies.

What was that one where they shrunk a craft and its crew and injected them into the
bloodstream ?

If we did that to Radium they could take out his remaining brain cells with a laser
cannon !

Graham

 

[Steve]

Because electrons aren't really free. They cost lots of money.

The electrons are free. But the laser is really expensive.

 

[[email protected]]

In sci.physics [email protected] wrote:


How many babysitters are needed?

Not too many. One for routine stuff but you'll always keeps at least
two, in case things get "less routine".

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
[email protected] | chances are he is doing just the same"

 

[Pat B.]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?


Thanks,

Radium

what a spaz, and i mean no disrespect to mentally handicaped people.

 

[Pat B.]

Hi:

All laser pointers in the market use diode-lasers. What makes it so
difficult to make a pointer-sized free-electron laser?


Thanks,

Radium

the size of the pen.

 

[Don Bruder]

Is it possible to stick an inspection scope up your nose to see if you skull
is as
empty as your posts suggest ?

Graham

ROTFL!!!

Couldn't have said it better myself, bud