Splitting laser beams...

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AYA

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
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Hi there,
i have a little project i'd like to try out and it implies splitting a red laser beam in two.
Then the two diverging beams would each bounce on an individual mirror paralleled to its brother in order to get something like this

______________*|***********
___________ *
-*-*-*-*/\*
____________*
______________*|***********


*EDIT : ignore the 2 // underscore lines theyre there because of html formatting screwing up spaces'nstuff...*

i have no optics knowledge except the basic stuff, i was wondering what type of optics is best to split the beam with?!

Also does anyone knows of any european (or a US one but with cheap shippng) webshop selling plastic or glass optic pieces??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I found this
http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp?pn=3038400
but they charge 30 $ for shipping, too much for a piece of glass...

I'll really appreciate any help or directions!!!:D

peace

AYA /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
I can't believe I work next to a laser group and I am clueless to what they do.

I do know that I've seen a beam splitter. It's a piece of glass that has say 50% reflective propererties. the glass is put on a 45 degree relative to the incoming and part of the beam passes straight through and part of the beam is reflected 90 degree to the primary. From there, you can use corner cubes, or other mirror and optics to bend the 2nd beam back in a forward direction.

If you want both beams to be next to each other, that will take a lot more work.
 
What you need is a beam splitter. This will give you two beams , one will be emitted at a right angle and the other will come out in a straight line from the original beam. You than will need mirrors to adjust the beams to be in the two parallel lines.

Can you just use two lasers? Back before cheap LED lasers the optics could be cheaper than another laser, but now lasers can be pretty cheap.
 
I was a little slow on the draw, I see Dat2zip beat me to the post.

It will not be to difficult to get the two parallel beams. Run it through your beam splitter and place one mirror or such device at the distance you wish to have your beams from each other in the path of the reflected beam. You will have to adjust that mirror to reflect the beam in a parallel path to the other beam.

A good source for some of this hardware is older laser disc players. I have parts of a old Pioneer; beam splitter, mirrors, laser tube, and other odds and ends.
They are kind of fun to play with.
 
You can get a 1:1 (50/50) beamsplitter from
http://www.imagesco.com/catalog/holography/HolographySupplies01.html
This is an author of a few Hologram books that sells optics - I've had dealings with him through the years and he's a nice guy.

To redirect the beams (as they will be 90° from each other) you need a couple of front surface mirrors. A while back I bought a bunch of small FS mirrors, if you need a couple, PM me and I'll send them to you.
Rob
 
Hi,
thanks a lot !
imagesco looks indeed cheap and good but i cant see if they ship to europe or not, their shipping info page doesnt exist...
I know using two lasers would be simpler but i want to have the visible V then // effect...:p
I'll keep looking!

Thanks again guys its nice of you...
 
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