DIY Laser Made from Thin Air!!
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
- It turns out that regular old air makes a laser beam when you blast it with high voltage! In this video I demonstrate one of these lasers as well as talk about how it works.
social media sillyness:
instagram: / styro.drake
patreon: / styropyro
The laser that I built in this video is an example of a TEA laser, where diatomic nitrogen is the lasing medium. There have been plans for DIY TEA lasers around since the 1970s, so I am definitely not the first one to do this!
Here is a great resource for building a nitrogen TEA laser, and this was the first resource I read when I wanted to build my own: technology.niagarac.on.ca/peop...
(this guy also has tons of other cool info on lasers, and is an expert on DIY lasers of all different kinds)
The capacitors were made with aluminum foil and polyethylene sheeting. The dielectric film can be another material than polyethylene, and works best when it is roughly 3 to 6 mil thick. In my design I keep the top plate at ground potential and the bottom at high voltage, as this decreases shock hazard.
The charging circuit is a flyback transformer (ripped from an old CRT TV) hooked up to an off the shelf ZVS (zero voltage switching) driver. This is kinda overkill, but it allows it to run at fairly fast repetition rates. - Věda a technologie
Never leave this guy in a science lab drunk and alone
Don't stay with him in a science lab when he's drunk.
@@rithikkumars1676 Or Ticked
I would
I’d do it just to see what happens
Rithik Kumar I would
"And this is a 2MW lazer i built at home" -Syropyro in a couple of years
Assuming the average human life is 12.6 years is a bit generous.
ha ha when I went through my video to check the math I realized I was off by a factor of 2.5²...I was too lazy to re-shoot the video clip so I just defined a human life as 12.6years to keep it "correct"...
1 nanosecond is about 1 lightfoot.
I mean.. 12.6 is technically of the same order of magnitude as 78.75 so why bother with the correction? You were only talking in generalities anyway.
When you play with the stuff he plays with, it is *very* generous.
I got a good chuckle out of you catching it in editing. We've all made that funny error in math. Keep up the good work bud.
(assuming human lifetime = 12.6 years) - only if you try this.
Or if your a child with anti-vax parents
@@nerkdurgen5574 12.6 is waaaaay high
_"Oh yea, don't try this at home or whatever"_
-styropyro 2018
You surely can, but don't.
"simple home project"
HEY DRAKE--Yes, an N2 laser actually exist in a lightning storm. I actually had a fully working N2 laser (one of the first ever built (early '70's). It's value: $250,000.00 dollars. I got it from a lab, whose manager sold it to me because it hadn't worked in a couple of decades--price:$250!!! It took a truck to haul it to my lab--when I saw it I couldn't believe my eyes--It was the one from an old "OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA" article which I had for years-this was the actual laser the article was based on! WOW!! There was no expense spared in building this thing! EVERYTHING gad safety features--it was 100% idiot-proof. I finally traced the problem down to a burned out thyratron. I verified this, by using a simple (LOUD) spark-gap to fire it. I finally got a replacement thyratron for cheap on ebay. Freaky: the silence of a N2 precision laser fired, rapid-pulse this way! Unfortunately, (Here in Louisiana), the flood of 2016 got it!!! But just the head--not the huge control box (which split a very strong table in half after resting on it a while. I pumped it down to optimal pressure and let a tank of pure N2 flow as it fired---amazing--things started glowing everywhere--I also used ordinary air at atmospheric (no) pumped pressure and got what most people see in a "N2 laser". You could control everything you could think of. No fixed voltages--these designers just stuck in huge variacs instead of transformer taps, etc., etc. It is packed in storage now--but I plan to unwrap it at a new location and FIX it!
BTW: For the usual laser (which is actually an optical oscillator rather than an amplifier) would actually have the acronym LOSER, but who would ever name this wonderful device a "loser"? However, the N2 laser is in reality, NOT an oscillator (as you mention) but an actual amplifier, so, as far as I know this is the only superradiant device that can be accurately called a 'LASER'. The active medium in this thing is a bit over a meter long! AND it actually has ONE mirror at the inner tube end--it makes two trips through what must be cool flowing N2 at this scale before emerging as a multi-mega-watt beam (....don't know the exact specs), but, as you stated, the energy J=W/s is quite low (mJ range, due to the tiny "s" in W/s)--it's the incredible speed that fires the MW's. BTY: I bet you would love playing around with thyratons.
Thanks for your comment, very interesting and exciting stuff! Pity about that N2 laser. And your explanation of laser vs. "loser" shows how much I have to learn and how little I understand about lasers.
Many industrial CO2 laser is already over 2 meters long. Even low power CO2 laser cutter uses tubes of at least 1.2 meters long.
And by the way if you want to build lasers to burn stuff why not use CO2 lasers? they're practically designed for it. But it's weird I never see any videos about CO2 lasers from this user. I know it's not exactly hand held (as the glass tube is fragile, and requires cooling water, etc.) but it's not beyond the user's skill to mess with as he already messes with high voltage.
It's ccp CZcams censorship
If lasers would have been built sooner, imagine how far laser tech would have advanced by now. That'd be totally insane!
I think pulse lasers would be far more advanced but I don't think diode lasers would be that much farther than they are today because efficient diode lasers require a lot of technologies that only started cropping up in the past 15 or so years
"Tony Stark built this in a cave! With a box of scraps!"
Jeffersonian1 i legit saw tgat movie fucking 38 times its my favorite movie of all time
yeah that shit is lit
*was able to
This is precisely the kind of weird shit MacGyver was known for.
Build explosives out of soap, some cotton wool, a paper clip and a battery? No problem!
Laser out of some foil and plastic? Sure.
Dig a hole when all you have is some duct tape and a sheet of paper? Easy!
Yeah, that show was weird. XD
KuraIthys I can build a bomb out of a roll of toilet paper and a stick of dynamite.
"Don't do this at home."
"It's completely doable at home."
they said you shouldnt do it at home,not that you cant do it at home.
@@blehh_mae yeah the range of things you "can easily do" at home that you really shouldn't is surprising when you think about it.
@@ARVash yeah, making nitroglycerin is actually scaringly simple
I'm mildly disappointed you didn't solve your garage heating problem with some huge DIY space heater.
I know it's not a good idea and not really practical, but still.
if my shop wasn't rented I'd have it solved with a giant forced air wood burner
IR laser heating
solar tubes through the roof then a solar oven to cook would heat the room
My balls are so warm, the heat would travel 4 years ago and warm that shop.
@@styropyro You should create a portable laser heater at some point. Great for keeping you warm, and for instantly blinding everybody around you if you keep the laser visible.
*Aluminum foil and plastic wrap*
”This is technically the most powerful laser I've ever built”
Flex much
I'm putting one on my car
You are like an exact copy of my dad when he was your age, you look almost like the same person, he was a big physics nerd and quickly went interested in lasers and now he works at a lab developing coatings for materials using lasers. And now that I've showed him ur channel he says it's the best one on youtube! So cheers from me and my dad keep it up with the awesome content!
Awesome!
Glad to see the TEA laser concept is still alive and kicking. I built one of these suckers about 10 years ago and it surprised me how well it works.
Dangerous AF but yeah, couldn't get much simpler than a few pieces of aluminum, a mylar sheet and an old CRT power circuit :)
Your quick wit is coming through more and more, I chuckled at 12.6 years. You're easily the channel I look most forward to videos from, thank you for all the content man!
I love the comments you edited in. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to build a lazer at home (wouldn't want to waste those precious 12.6 years)
I never fully comprehend the procedures and calculations but I love watching all your videos! Your mind is definitely exceptional!
You’re clearly a genius! Another awesome video btw!
Awesomeness squared. Love the math and physics behind all your videos. Keep on lasing!
Here I am 16 hours later after uploaded.. didn’t get the notification!? Nice vid👍
I'm convinced YT doesn't notify the majority of my subscribers. A silent form of censorship...
Darn CZcams is probably working with the NSA....
styropyro
I got the notification & then I immediately hit that like button lol 👍
(On my android)
Here i am 2 years later🤓
@@rlduckie1074 here I am 2 years 3 months later
"Assuming human life is 12.6 years"
Careful there you 're starting to sound like an antivaxxer
Recent events have led me to inform you that the "anti" in your original statement is no longer realistic.
@@rockspoon6528 careful there, you're starting to sound like an antivaxxer
I've been waiting for you to do a TEA laser! Thanks!
Great Vid, Back when i was a kid reading science books, i read about lasers but without videos's explaining what was going on it seemed a mystery, awesome explanation, Also the Math, Energy Level's, give's other's less fear of the calculations, It's Not that hard guys, Go forward, thanks Styropyro!!
I had to built such a laser at a school project. It blew my mind that you can build a laser so simple. Nice video!
Human life time = 12.6 years. What is that for life?
its within an order of magnitude
One does not even get to be a rebellious teen.
Oh no I'm 12.5
I think he is referring to his own life expectation.
it id da ugandan wae o lif
All of the science and math went flying over my head but every thing else was super awesome. Great video
Great video! Fascinating to think lasers could have been around much sooner than they were.
Are you still working on the explosive powered laser? I believer you mentioned it in a previous video but I don't recall hearing much about it since.
You've come a long way from basic text overlay tutorials, looking forward to seeing even cooler stuff in the future :)
there is hope for our species! you are absolutely amazing! thank you so much for making these videos. this was way beyond cool!
For someone who took average lifespan of a human as 12.6 years, I am damn sure he isn't optimistic about our species either.
Yay! Another video :DDD
Ok i was impressed as you explained the math but then you started to build your own capacitors lol. Really cool things youre doing!
Its 3am here and I was going to bed when the notification arrived. Anyways Nice project. Waiting for the next videos.
Really cool video my guy
Drake, GREAT--as usual. nice channel arc. It kooks extremely good for a TEA type. makes me want to have a look at one of my old treasures...
Years ago, I got my hands on a professional ($250,000 value) I got it cheap (only $250) because it didn't work--The problem...A bad thyratron of the type found on ebay for < $100 (I got it firing manually on spark gaps). I had a VERY old article on a N2 laser for years before I got this--The miracle...It was the research article on this very laser! This laser was absolutely foolproof...pressure shutdown, variac fine control...the works!
It was in the big Louisiana flood in 2006...I propped it up, but didn'y expect 17" H2O haven't looked inside yet.
--dAlE
Just found your channel as you uploaded a new video. Sweet!
Dude, you never cease to amaze
ahhh, more good content from my favorite youtuber :~)
Dude love your channel been watching for years. Love the math even tho I can't understand it
This guy should be working for MIT he is an amazing young man.
Oh man you got the best videos on the internet
12.6 years, almost the same time that you created your channel. ;)
Well you have managed to show me how much I don't know about the power requirements for a basic laser! Never the less great work I like the fact that you can make stuff out of simple items, I believe that I saw the guy of applied Sciences do something similar but whit much more complex equipment...
thank you so much for this channel i dont hate science class anymore and i take notes on all your videos! make more chemistry videos i enjoy those :)))
Happy new year and thank you for an awesome video as usual!! You keep on proving main stream media and main stream science wrong so many times you've really got such a talent for this stuff?? Can you try and do a video for us onTesla free energy to prove it actually exists which I'm sure it does!! WOW!!
Styropyro omg best youtuber ever
This is frekinnnn awesome!!
Most interesting videos on CZcams!
Amazing stuff.
You deserve more subscribers!
Ohhh new video. Hes alive!
YOUR BADASS BRO!
You should try to make an electro laser. You form something called a laser induced plasma channel by having a super high intensity laser beam. Even a relatively weak laser can do this. This plasma channel can conduct electricity. If you do something similar with your spark gap thing you can run a current down the channel and it's like a tiny lightening gun. If you use two beams and have one a ground and the other the side that sparks, you can make a directed lightening strike. If you lower the power output of the zapping part you might get a taser laser.
Terran Guard if it's not femtosecond laser, the plasma channel is discontinuous at some parts, so the current won't flow, and femtosecond laser is pretty hard to make at home.
If it was easy it wouldn't be impressive. Some people are attempting to add a second laser to heat the plasma once it's created to sustain it to fix that discontinuous channel problem..
You do realize that Ti-Sapphire femtosecond lasers cost literally ~half a million, right? Making your own is only slightly cheaper if you don't already have the necessary equipment to work with fiber.
That's all it is? I can make that in my microwave
You gave a link to Mark Csele's website in the description. I'm in a couple classes he teaches at Niagara college for the photonics program.
Honored to have you at our booth. I think we'll be learning more from you than you will from us.
Duh
Dude I ....really love your videos.....😘
Good job I’m 13 and have been doing electrician stuff since I was five but still this i found to be pretty impressive
You have already lived a lifetime.
..i have no idea what 95% of the things you say even means. But.. I respect your ingenuity and intelligence. You are going to do amazing things in your lifetime. Keep up the good work!
assuming the average human lifespan is 12.6 years, this is yet another reason I continue to come back to this channel time and time again.
Do you have a recommended contact at the optic manufacture I need to find a source for several optics and crystals
Cool video.
Thanks Mr, styropyro! ...was that a MOT, lower right area of screen? also Can you build a Co2 cutting laser? nice flow on this last video very on the fly.
Why i didnot subcribe this channel before . This man is a super hero
what??? so cool dude
Great fun as always! But, as an admitted know-nothing, I think your circuit diagram might need a revision--I think the controlling spark gap needs to be between the HV supply rather than on the other side. Or does it work either way?
1:32 i always asks to peoples " how to make it continues " And get replied Impossible ( because of middle state involved ) i though to ask same question here but i incidentally skipped to the point where you already talking about in the video .
Surprising and helpful .
Guess I'm going to try and meet you in San Francisco 👍👍👍
Styropyro could you make a light sabre from a laser pointer if you turned the laser off and on at the speed of light?
I like the spark gap concept
Sorry!! I keep forgetting to throw ya a like. I'm binge watching ya and my phones in landscape.
I would love to see you doing some experiments regarding getting electric back out from a laser beam
It's called a solar panel
Hi Drake,
Do you think a triggered spark gap (for a 5kJ 8kV pulse capacitor) could be activated with all this peak power?
Have you tried to use a magnetron to pump ruby laser?
I built one a while ago it was sort of underwhelming and really loud. What sort of input voltage were you using? that looks like well above 5KV which was eating trough my 3 mil mylar.
"Anything you really want it to be,as long as you pump it hard enough". Words to live by.
could you combine the output of 5 of these lasers to create a (probably very unstable) continuous mode laser?
Very cool
awesome, very interesting, i like your explanations, just with high voltaje you can build a pulse laser... not bad
Spring in five months. Yayyy.
where do you get the flyback driver from (zvs) .... and what you used to power that thing up. ( plz reply).
How can you verify that it's really lasing as opposed to just emitting light, or perhaps some UV (if you get fluorescence of things nearby)?
i made on of these on my school for my exam project, pretty cool
Safety warnings really annoy me so you saying that made me glued that I’m subed to you!
About the length of the intermediate state being too long to run the laser continuously, couldn't you move air through it so it has a constant supply of N2 in the ground state?
This guy is actually so smart
does the aluminum oxide on the aluminum angle have any effect with this? also you should do something with a common spark plug
I'm learning more with math physics and science from this Channel than I have done with 4 years of school 😂
You make me proud to be a chemistry 🧪 major!
1: How do you know that the laser is oriented in the direction, and not in a completely wrong direction?
2: Could with work with a Piezoelectric Igniter?
neat!
now what if you put 2 parallel rails one to ground and send a rocket with a wire in to a storm could to catch the lightning and direct it in to the other rail .how much power would go in to it how much power would be turned in to laser energy
how many views would you get if you would make that video
ps please make that video
ha ha oh I have a similar idea on paper...but instead using a giant pre-ionized tube of argon. would be very expensive for likely only a single shot (if it even worked) but would be awesome nonetheless.
styropyro that’s crazy
styropyro DO IT! >:]
styropyro it’s possible to entice lightning strikes exactly where you want them using a kite, thin conductive wire, and a high voltage source. Kreosan did it on their channel. That could make an awesome laser blast.
How would the kite get in the air.. something tells me balloons would make much much more sense...
I'm planning on trying this at home
So what would happen if used mirrors and some magnifying glasses to make a more concentrated beam?
Dude ur sick! 👍👊
Could you use some mirrors you produce a beam you could then focus with a lens, or is that impractical because (insert reason here)?
I'm mostly interested in the caps right now, does it have to be polyethylene?
Is that the power supply to a Casio laser projector I see at 4:12?
I have some 1nF 20kV Ceramic Disk Capacitors at home. Would putting these in parallel increase the Output power, or is the ESR of these too high?
Makersteve YT you actually shrink the output power. The puls wil be longer if you increase the capacity. If you want a higher output power you have to increase the voltage so the pulse wil be shorter. (I suggest to put the capacitors in serie so the capacity wil shrink and the maximum voltage will be higher)
zztop3000 Ebay 😁
2:18 lol
love your videos 😊
i lovethis channel:)
Man, I wish you were in SoCal
Your awesome bro
Any way you could increase the average power? If you were to build this into a chamber w/ the mirrors?
Love you pappi