Easy Holograms - At Home!

Hi everyone,

Just saw a video over on Reddit /r/lasers of a home made hologram that was pretty decent. Information pointed to a site selling a kit with everything you need to make holograms at home with ease. No need for chemical film development or any of that!

Here's a link to the site with products!

Litiholo ? Home

The prices look really reasonable, I'm certainly interested in trying it out. Great way to get started with holography without spending a ton of cash on optics/expensive lab lasers/film/chemicals.

Here's the video:

Thanks for sharing Diachi. Will have to check out that video when I've got time. :beer:

diachi said:

Hi everyone,

Just saw a video over on Reddit /r/lasers of a home made hologram that was pretty decent. Information pointed to a site selling a kit with everything you need to make holograms at home with ease. No need for chemical film development or any of that!

Here's a link to the site with products!

Litiholo ? Home

The prices look really reasonable, I'm certainly interested in trying it out. Great way to get started with holography without spending a ton of cash on optics/expensive lab lasers/film/chemicals.

Here's the video:

Click to expand...

Well, I was considering this kit some time ago. Easy to use, cheap. Just do not expect holograms of larger objects or more complicated two beam holorgaphy... But I think it is a nice starting pack. If anybody have experience, I would be happy to read that.

It looks like a transmission hologram made with a single mode diode. You can tell by the color and the shallow depth of the end product. It is a good example of what is possible with this kind of set up, so don't expect to get yours to look as clean. The three coins depth of field is the best you can expect out of this set up and you will need the laser to view the hologram too. But, if you want an introduction into holography without spending much money, this will give you that experience.

diachi said:

Hi everyone,

Just saw a video over on Reddit /r/lasers of a home made hologram that was pretty decent. Information pointed to a site selling a kit with everything you need to make holograms at home with ease. No need for chemical film development or any of that!

Here's a link to the site with products!

Litiholo ? Home

The prices look really reasonable, I'm certainly interested in trying it out. Great way to get started with holography without spending a ton of cash on optics/expensive lab lasers/film/chemicals.

Here's the video:

Click to expand...

Nice find... Looks like they sell a larger 4" X 5"
setup as well.
Just saw they also have a reflection hologram kit
so you can see the Hologram in plain white light.

Jerry

paul1598419 said:

It looks like a transmission hologram made with a single mode diode. You can tell by the color and the shallow depth of the end product. It is a good example of what is possible with this kind of set up, so don't expect to get yours to look as clean. The three coins depth of field is the best you can expect out of this set up and you will need the laser to view the hologram too. But, if you want an introduction into holography without spending much money, this will give you that experience.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's not going to be anything special compared to a proper set up with good optics/mounts/SLM lasers etc, but it's a cheap way to get your foot in the door for anyone that may have an interest in holography but not the funds. :yh:

lasersbee said:

Nice find... Looks like they sell a larger 4" X 5"
setup as well.
Just saw they also have a reflection hologram kit
so you can see the Hologram in plain white light.

Jerry

Click to expand...

They have a few options, looks pretty decent! They also offer a kit for full colour holograms, although at an increased price of course.

BTW: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/752525344/diy-full-color-hologram-kit-from-litiholo

Wow, I will have to keep an eye on Litiholo. It is good to see holograms being made more accessible. I came close to trying back in sixth form, but it was never approved as a project.

CurtisOliver said:

Wow, I will have to keep an eye on Litiholo. It is good to see holograms being made more accessible. I came close to trying back in sixth form, but it was never approved as a project.

Click to expand...

Oh, I feel sad for you! Why the hell it was not approved? If the safety issues were the reason, I would have fight for exception for 5 mW red diode with laser glasses on during laser operation, I would have draft some safety protocol to be followed, get parents permission and possibly approach teacher to help me with laser safety, in case they are so strict.

In my country they have forbiden practical experiments in chemistry for students under 18 (or something like this) recently - I cannot imagine my high school without these lovely experiments even they were a bit dangerous and my lab coat was full of holes and spots from chemicals at the end.

Even for my elementary school I got an exception (under teacher's supervision of course - but nobody supervised me at home when I was preparing that) to show my project of electrolysis of salt water, which is also a bit dangerous because of chlorine, hydrogen and NaOH generated. It is not possible due to leagal reasons now.

These approaches for excesive protection of children are not good for future of science.

Be safe and responsible, but do the science and learn, not just watch it passively on youtube.

I think these can be combined if there is an effort and passion.

I think part of it was due to safety, but the other being my tutor wanted me to do a project that didn't involve lasers.
I do think that health and safety has gotten too mad these days.

CurtisOliver said:

...but the other being my tutor wanted me to do a project that didn't involve lasers.
...

Click to expand...

Well, if you were too passionated about lasers that time, that's understandable.

Radim said:

Well, if you were too passionated about lasers that time, that's understandable.

Click to expand...

Yes, I was. Most projects I came up with had lasers in them somewhere. Even if it didn't need one. Laser guided telescope. Why not? Laser guided cutting knifes? At least the hologram needed lasers. Plus in order to make one, I require a new HeNe.

Got a message from Bob Hess (Eidetic on PL) last week. Some of you may be familiar with his collection/holography work.

He sent a correction in regards to Paul's reply here.

It's a Denisyuk type reflection hologram, not transmission. Depth of image depends on coherence length of the laser, and can be extremely deep with the laser sold with the kit.

Click to expand...

He also offered some options for help/resources in relation to Holography:

I'd be happy to help anyone who wants to try holography at home, with this kit or with any other hardware or recording materials. A great resource is Holographyforum.org / holowiki.org - Index page

There is also a public holography group on Facebook where many old timers chime in. Just thought you'd be interested, and might pass on the corrections. Holography does not need to be expensive. The chemistry is essentially the same as black & white photography, and the laser can be a 10mW He-Ne.

Click to expand...

Hopefully this information helps anyone interested in Holography!

Yeah, I have always said that the depth of field is dependent on the coherence length of the laser. Most 18 inch He-Ne lasers have a coherence length of about 6 to 8 inches. There are laser diodes that do have longer coherence lengths than the diodes we normally use for pointers, but they have been fairly expensive in the past. It is fairly easy to measure the coherence length of any laser. One sets up a Michelson interferometer with one of the two mirrors able to move along the axis of the beam and you measure the distance where the interference pattern is best, then move the mirror until you lose the interference pattern. This distance is equal to one forth of the coherence length. Or one can set it up where the interference pattern is best(usually equal distances for both mirrors) then move one mirror until the pattern disappears the reappears and becomes brightest. This distance is one half the coherence length of the laser.

Edit: BTW, a Michelson interferometer is not as difficult to set up as the name implies. Google it for the set up. Also, Bob Hess is right about the chemistry for developing the plates is very similar to photography development, but I find it quite interesting that he goes on to say "and the laser can be a 10mW He-Ne". This is because a typical He-Ne only varies by ~0.0065nm and diodes typically vary by much more. The less this variation, the longer the coherence length.