Laserati blogs

Poor man's laser

Yan — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:06:11 +0000

Two published poor man's lasers:

1. Poor man’s source for sub 7 fs: a simple route to ultrashort laser pulses and their full characterization.
2. Poor Man's Channel Waveguide Laser: KY(WO4)2:Yb.

Solar pumped laser reaches 80W

Yan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:56:53 +0000

A new report from Prof. Takashi Yabe: 100 W-class solar pumped laser for sustainable magnesium-hydrogen energy cycle, J. Appl. Phys. 104, 083104 (2008). They used a Fresnel lens (2×2 m, f=2000 mm) for collecting solar radiation, a Cr:Nd: YAG ceramic rod as gain medium, and get 80 W maximum laser power, corresponding to a 4.3% net conversion from solar light. That’s really a cool result.

I always say to my colleagues that solar pumped laser is my dream research project, because then I can do experiments under sunshine instead of in a basement lab. ;)

Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta's books

Yan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:14:11 +0000

Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta, who runs a consulting company after a successful academic career, just published another book: SPIE Field Guide to Laser Pulse Generation. His first book is SPIE Field Guide to Lasers.

Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology, his notable and useful web project, also has a print version now.

He leads a very interesting career.

Greek scientists use lasers to clean Acropolis

LaserGeek — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:50:27 +0000

In the past two and a half thousand years, the temples of the Acropolis have suffered fire, bombing and earthquake. Now, scientists are trying to save them from a new modern enemy: pollution.

Standing on a hilltop at the centre of Athens, a city of 4 million people, the Acropolis’ elaborately sculptured stones have fallen prey to a film of black crust from car exhaust fumes, industrial pollution, acid rain and fires.

A team of Greek engineers and restorers are using an innovative laser technology system to clean the surface of the ancient monuments, uncovering colours and ornamentation hidden for decades.

Oddly Enough | Africa - Reuters.com.

DuPont: Laser technology speeds development of corn, soybeans

LaserGeek — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:48:27 +0000

DuPont has unveiled an advanced technology the company said will transform seed research and considerably speed up the development of higher yielding corn and soybean varieties.

DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred introduced Laser-Assisted Seed Selection as the newest tool in its Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT) toolbox. The technology promises to increase the size and scope of the Pioneer breeding program five-fold in the next three years, said DuPont.

Laser-Assisted Seed Selection uses a 120-watt carbon dioxide laser to score a small slice from a seed to capture its genetic information while maintaining the seed’s viability for planting.

DuPont: Laser technology speeds development of corn, soybeans.

Laser acupuncture effective against headaches in children

LaserGeek — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:36:15 +0000

The July 2008 issue of Pain, a prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal published by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), featured a German study conducted by eight pediatric doctors and clinicians. The researchers attempted to determine whether or not laser acupuncture would prove effective in relieving the symptoms of chronic headaches in 43 children.

Laser acupuncture effective against headaches in children.

The German researchers concluded, “that laser acupuncture can provide a significant benefit for children with headache, with active laser treatment being clearly more effective than placebo laser treatment.”

192 Lasers, Nuclear Weapons and Fusion Power

Yan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:07:17 +0000

Wired videocasted NIF facility and talked with its director, Ed Moses, about this unique place and its role in the future of energy.

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was built by the Department of Energy to gather data on the thermonuclear reactions that occur inside atomic weapons. And as an excellent side bonus, NIF (rhymes with stiff) could unlock the secret of harnessing fusion for unlimited, clean electricity.

Play games with a laser pointer

LaserGeek — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:33:29 +0000

Alpay Kasal of Lit Studios developed a technique using a laser pointer for controlling games and applications.

Apple ‘brick’

LaserGeek — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:18:58 +0000

There are sources saying that the rumored Apple Brick isn’t a product, but a manufacturing process that can make high quality aluminum shells. The “brick” part comes in because the supposed technique carves these MacBook casings with lasers and high pressure water jets out of bricks of aluminum, making for a seamless and screwless design. via: Gizmodo

Giant laser harp to enchant Lisbon

LaserGeek — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:13:27 +0000

A giant harp, with laser beams for strings, will take pride of place at Terreiro do Paço, Lisbon, from November 8th to January 11th, as part of the ‘Luzboa’ arts festival.

Giant laser harp to enchant Lisbon.