amateur visible laser made out of ordinary laundry detergent

Visible blue laser beam from ordinary laundry detergent, pumped with simple homemade nitrogen laser. Basically stated, one laser pumps another. A nitrogen laser is used to pump a dye laser. The nitrogen laser is just a fast capacitor, with a spark gap and parallel electrodes. The dye laser is just a box made out of microscope slides, with the dye (laundry detergent in this video) contained within. When focused, the invisible ultraviolet beam from the nitrogen laser pumps the dye, producing a visible blue laser beam.

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercn2.htm#cn2toc

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• homemade
• laser
• visible
• beam
• nitrogen
• dye
• DIY

[mcwario13]

I dont understand this can you explain this to me please?

[magx1]

@mcwario13

See recently updated description

[TheNuclearWatermelon]

Is that why white T-shirts glow blue under the Blacklights you see at parties?

[magx1]

@TheNuclearWatermelon

You are absolutely correct! If fact, a white T-shirt makes an excellent target for the invisible UV beam from a nitrogen laser. It is the optical brightener that also makes the T-shirt look more "white" in normal lighting. Without the brightener, the white shirt would not seem as bright in ordinary light, and would actually look more yellow to the eye.

[DrMario2007baka]

magx1 - I guess you maybe would want to try 211 nanometer or lesser in pumping light wavelength, maybe from Iodine-Xenon laser. Who know... I haven't tried - maybe I will get to it.

(Also, theoretically, the car coolant MIGHT lase, who know? If you want to do it, don't mix it with water, just use rubbing alcohol - Also, grab a radiator if you want 1,000 watts of green laser light from it. O___O )

[magx1]

Pumping with 337 nanometers gives a visible output from the dye. If lasable when pumped with 211, the resulting output might still be in the UV.

For transverse pumping, concentration must be strong enough to absorb all of energy < 1mm from inside surface of cell. Not sure that the dye in antifreeze has a high enough concentration to do this. It's worth a try: anybody willing to try it (or any other common substances), please post results here! Feedback is welcome.

[FredPilcher]

LOL - brilliant!

[kungfumaster12]

where is the liquid detergent at? is it in the clear cylinder diluted in water or something? or is th detergent being vaporized in the air? like a fog machine?

[Morgotheenslaver]

Oh my god, what a cool hobby. Do you have an instructional video of making your basic TEA laser?

[jupy921]

lol...too funny. OMG that was wicked cool. Laser Soap. You said you were powering that with a Neon sign Transformer, but it looks like a Bug Zapper Transformer in the Video. How much juice were you feeding into this thing to get it to work? And thanks for posting this, a great project to try.

[ChrisKarr]

Oh, I also have some transformers, as well. I'm a Tesla coil builder, so I've become quite resourceful.

[ChrisKarr]

I want to make a laser and I have three 56 in. long 1/2in. diameter glass tubes. I only need one, so if somebody else wants one, I'll sell it - contact me.

I have one of those tubes and I have access to liquid nitrogen. What else would I need to make a laser similar to the one you have here?

Things I have -

-A healthy supply of aluminum foil

-A roll of overhead transparency

-A place where I can get some liquid nitrogen (maybe argon)

-The glass tubes

-Easy access to most common chemicals