POssible way to make a "light saber"

[jamilm9]

Imagine you have a very powerful laser that was hand held. Could the attached image work.

 

[Benm]

Yes, and no:

Considering enough laser power it could be possible to optically trap something near the waist of the beam (so it would end in a point rather than in a flat surface like drawn, but still be finite in length).

Problem is what you want to trap: First of all it would have to be resistant to heat, but it goes downhill from there: Since it is absorbing the laser energy, it will get hot and will start to emit thermal radiation. If you were to construct something like this, it would look like a faint red cone with a blindingly bright hot lump of material trapped at its tip.

 

[mfo]

How would you power it?

 

[jamilm9]

a back pack full of batteries

 

[Arayan]

Some time ago I also thought of something like that, but I think the first problem to solve is how to attach the beam trap at the handle of the sword ...

 

[brtaman]

You guys are going about it the wrong way. :tinfoil:

The only way to make a lightsaber is to create plasma and a sword like containment field simultaneously thought the push of a button. It will allow you to cut through anything, it will also likely produce cool noises...everything solved.

Have a fun time mining for naquadah or something in that area. :evil:

 

[HIMNL9]

^ they already exists, they're called "baan"



..... oh, wait, that one was in a science fiction tale ..... nevermind :crackup:

 

[Arayan]

However, it is fun to discuss about lightsabers, at least from a theoretical point of view BTW there is an easier way to get a "lightsaber" instead of plasma, for example I built an object resembling a lightsaber when I was about sixteen ... with a resistance (connected to a big battery) obtained from an electric heater.

 

[Deleted member 13229]

Whatever that is held in place by optical trapping would come loose when you struck something with the beam.

 

[gotwake424]

You could just focus the laser so far out so that it ionized the air. But it would have to be really powerful!

 

[Things]

Making a lightsaber is easy .. but doing it with lasers we have access to is almost impossible.

The best way would be to get a laser powerful enough to ionize a channel of air. But that also runs the risk of burning a hole through your neighbors house, and maybe the neighbours neighbours house ..

Then you would have to strap a nuclear reactor on your back to power it ...

 

[BuildAbluraylaser]

If you try to cut with such a light saber you might interrupt the beam, and the optical trapped blocker could fall, and probably also make a hole in the floor...

 

[brtaman]

Making a lightsaber is easy .. but doing it with lasers we have access to is almost impossible.

The best way would be to get a laser powerful enough to ionize a channel of air. But that also runs the risk of burning a hole through your neighbors house, and maybe the neighbours neighbours house ..

Then you would have to strap a nuclear reactor on your back to power it ...

That's what the naquadah will be for...duh

I still say plasma would be better...something along the lines of a super powered SSTC running CW...



Of course for that to work, I will need room temperature superconducting transistors and a pocket size naquadah generator. (yeah I watch/read too much sci-fi )

Problem will be the containment field...though I have a couple ideas for that worked out.

Then I will have a decent "lightsaber". :gun:

 

[xSpazyKlown0]

I don't think that would work.
First of all, if the laser was in the handle, the beam would shoot out, hit the heat resistant metal, reflect back to laser, kill your laser. It would either go back into your laser and fry it, or it would go near it and just bounce around while some of it would be turning the heat-resistant metal red hot (not sure, but maybe. I don't know what heat-resistant metal you are thinking of.)
I would go with plasma. xD

 

[photonaholic]

Nothing against creativity and free thinking, but how many times does this subject merit discussion??

Your more likely to pioneer a warp drive and fly to naboo than make a light saber.

 

[Arayan]

I think because the forum is called "laser pointer forum" and not "warp drive forum" and so on :crackup: :crackup: