Your DPSS Grenie just became obsolete...

Chjeck out this latest development... apparently they have developed a way to convert between arbitrary frequencies of electromagnetic spectrum with near 100% efficiency.

Alchemy with light shocks physicists

"After 10,000 or so reflections, taking a total of around 0.1 nanoseconds, the light can shift dramatically in frequency ­ from red up to blue, for example, or from visible light down to infrared. By changing the way the crystal is built up, it is possible to control exactly which frequencies can go into the crystal and which come out. "We ought to be able to do things that have never been possible before," Joannopoulos told New Scientist.

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Initially they will generate shock waves by shooting bullets at photonic crystals. This would destroy the crystal, but not before the light has had time to shift. Eventually, sound waves should do the job just as well, they say. "It¹s really practical, and potentially even easier to do than with actual shock waves," says Reed.

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I had to put this up despite the excitement and great prospects for this technology. You have to wonder if you want guys in lab coats shooting bullets at stuff in a lab.

I know, William Tell says "here son put this light on your head I want to change the color of the beam"

The Terahertz use sounds interesting also.

Wits' End, we used to have Marines guarding a small group of labs on the first floor of the building I worked in at Bell Labs (and there were electronic keycard locks plus combination locks on the doors). Maybe they have Marines up at MIT, too, and can have THEM shoot up the labs? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif