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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Wierd polygonal Zerodur laser lens, what do you think its function was?

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I have this weird polygonal lens which has a slight yellow tint to it, because of this I think it is likely made from Zerodur glass.

Can someone tell me what this kind of lens was probably made for? It's uber cool to me and I'm thinking of making a multidiode IR laser light out of it as it has a fairly close focal point. It's completely flat on the other side.

Please share your thoughts, thanks :)

laserlens1_zps74b92e79.jpg
 
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IsaacT

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Re: Please see this wierd polygonal Lens, what for?

Maybe it was a piece in a kaleidoscope? Or a part from a mechanical bug's eye? I would be interested in seeing what a beam looks like when put through that lens.
 
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Re: Please see this wierd polygonal Lens, what for?

The seller told me it came from a large lot of laser lenses and other laser parts which were surplus from a government project.

laserlensside_zps8c195f5f.jpg
lens_zpsd8d296a4.jpg


I took a small low power red laser diode, removed its lens and used this one in its place. When holding it so close to the laser diode that only the center section has the light from the laser diode going through it, it will focus the light into a small spot but not quite as sharp as the original lens I removed from the small ponter. If I pull the lens away from the laser so the whole back end of it is radiated with unfocused laser light, then I have seven tiny little spots focused on the ceiling (my backdrop for it).
 
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Thats really strange...closest thing i could find was this, from this page. Looks like maybe a combination of the last two? I dunno...really weird. I wonder what would happen if you shone 1 beam into each facet perpendicularly to the flat side of the lens, and vice versa (7 beams onto flat side).
 
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Thanks, I have no clue what it's purpose was, but it appears to have been made for IR. Here's what a red laser looks like shining through the center section but out of focus. If I were to have seven lasers, each centered under each lens section, there would just be seven points of light, when in focus.

20140622_193918_zpsef52a1d8.jpg
 
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Not a clue. Not even an educated guess. But my uneducated guess is that it is for fiber injection. Or for beam shaping for some powerful optical tweezers. Or perhaps it was a laser technician's favorite paperweight.
 
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It seemed so exotic I bought it on ebay, but now I can't find a good use for it, but it will be a great paperweight :) Thank you for your thoughts.
 
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Perhaps you could use it as a more compact version of your beacon/transmitter project, for to concentrate the beacon function without concentrating it too much.
 

LSRFAQ

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Think Again. Fill the whole optic with beams in your mind. It goes in the middle of the system of optics.
Not a one of you are close.

Steve
 




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