Beam combining && Beam Splitting

[LewDude]

I feel this is a bit of a Rube Goldberg type of setup ... combining RGB with an XCube, then breaking B and R off with dichros - only to point them in the same direction again. My kids appreciated it :beer: (that beer is not for the kids, lol)

Depending on your timezone, hope you're all having a nice Saturday/Sunday!!

Wavelengths:
532nm
445nm
660nm

IMAG4797 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

IMAG4798 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

IMAG4783 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

IMAG4764 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

IMAG4777 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

IMAG4781 by Lewie Wilkinson, on Flickr

 

[trinh hong phuoc]

I want a room like that - great

 

[paul1598419]

Looks like you went to a lot of trouble to combine them only to separate them again. Whatever floats your boat. :yh:

 

[RedCowboy]

Very nice spread of colors, looks like fun.

 

[Singlemode Laser]

Great pictures!

Singlemode

 

[brucemir]

Hey Lew,
I really like the way the vertical blue came out in the last one. Real nice!

 

[paul1598419]

The photography was very good. + Rep. :yh:

 

[dYankee]

They really give good visuals and results.

 

[Dreadnought]

Holy moly, that's looks amazing! Looking at it makes me jealous xD

 

[Gazen]

Nice images, they’re nice and colorful.

 

[RB astro]

So cool Lew.
Thanks for sharing.

RB
:wave:

 

[Pelagius]

Beautiful! I see what appears (to my eye) to be a 405 nm as well as the three listed.
LewDude!
You and Brucemir are inspiring!
I want to set up something like this. Good source of splitters and combiners? Prisms?
I have a 1 watt 520 nm, a 150 mW 492 on the way- a 60-100 mW 532 nm. It looks like I'll need (WANT) a 635-638 nm Red.
I'm guessing it will be easier with a lower power 520 nm. The 450 nm is also 1 Watt-so perhaps a lower wattage 473 would be better.
Do you use a smoke machine or just low light.? I looked up Xcube but found vaping videos.
And yes-"I have Googles" although they are only good for up to 540 nm (Eagle). So I'll need something to cover the red wavelengths.
Thanks! I do have a Canon 5D MKIV so I have the camera covered-mostly nature and night sky shots.

 

[hakzaw1]

quite nice!! +rep

there are cubes on eekbay that are 'imperfect' as in--they did not pass QC.. one lady sells them very cheap-(for teachers) and they are pretty big.. the 'flaws' are tiny chips on the edges and corners.... no biggie..
AND.. they make super 'extras' to add into items sold.
like 'Crackerjack' !surprise!

 

[Benm]

Very cool... and also interesting how the first dichro does a worse job splitting the light as there is quite some green and red with the blue beam... but hardly any green mixed in with the red output.

One interesting experiment would be doing this in reverse. In theory the optical system should work exactly the same, so you combine the beams with the dicro and get 3 shooting out of the cube on 3 sides.

 

[paul1598419]

I noticed quite a bit of red with the blue coming off that dichro, but thought it was likely the effect of a lens as I see the same thing though my glasses at times from blue beams. Even though it is a blue monochromatic beam, there is always some red off to the side that moves depending on what angle I look at it. It is just a chromatic aberration.

 

[LewDude]

One interesting experiment would be doing this in reverse. In theory the optical system should work exactly the same, so you combine the beams with the dicro and get 3 shooting out of the cube on 3 sides.

I almost pulled another set of dichros off my projector to keep the combining and splitting party going further down the chain - but what you mentioned would be easy and fun, too! If I can get some time tonight I might update the thread!

Thx for the feedback! :beer:

@Pelagius:
Sorry, didn't mean to leave you hangin' there! Thx for the kind words, too...
So - that "405nm" looking beam is in fact a 445nm- but depending on the angle of the camera compared to the beam, and also the power output of the beam, the blues can get tricky in pictures!
As for cheap sources - the dichros I bought from a CN seller "lilly-marie' - "she" has both an Amazon and fleabay presence. The stands for the dichros I got from Aixiz. Cheap prisms - depending on what you are after, can be found by the dozens on Amazon - but I like to find 'gems' (dual meaning) at flea markets, Goodwills, and spiritual shops. At least when I'm going for something unique / some variety. As Hakzaw mentioned, the X-Cubes I would go to fleabay. I think that is where I have gotten all my cube-shaped combiners. (Heres an XCUBE)
If you are going to try combining RGB, you will want a lower power green, for sure. It does not take much green as the eye finds that part of the visible spectrum 'brightest'. There is a nice wavelength-power/brightness calculator out there, if you search for it with the bottom search in the forum.
I do use a fog machine when it comes to indoor "lower" power laser pics/vids. Makes a ton of difference.

Good questions - LMK if you have any other thoughts! Thanks again for checking it out