A real laser made from household scrap: Presented by Jarrod Kinsey

A real laser made from household scrap
Presented by Jarrod Kinsey

Monday, January 11th, 2021
Online Zoom Meeting
7 to 9 PM
Free and open to everyone

A real laser made from household scrap

Presentation description:

In a modern world where technology is used but seldom understood, the nitrogen (N2) laser represents laser technology at a level that can be seen and conceptualized. Constructed from the most basic parts conceivable, the laser converts electrical energy into ultraviolet laser radiation. As a gas laser, the nitrogen laser uses nitrogen gas in ambient air. No special glass work, vacuum equipment, or optics are required. The device is to modern lasers what the crystal radio is to the iPhone - one might say the nitrogen laser is similar to a foxhole radio in terms of its potential for rudimentary and makeshift construction.

(Meeting Host Note: In short, this is a project that you can do yourself, alone or with friends (when safe). It is possible that we can (again, when safe) build this together at the North End Makers new space, which we’ll be learning about in April.)

Bio:
My name is Jarrod. I began reading about lasers when I was in the sixth grade. I read how the first laser had been constructed using little more than an intense photo-flash tube and a small cylinder of ruby. From that point forward, I was hooked. Lasers were still mysterious when I began reading about them. There were no laser pointers or common consumer products that utilized laser technology. There was no Internet, eBay or means to locate and share information with like-minded individuals. What would one day be realized through the Internet was tightly concealed beneath the thawing ice of time.

After the Internet became commonplace, I discovered Sam's Laser FAQ. In the early 2000's, I began to meet and email people who shared my interest in lasers. I joined an email list of professionals and amateurs who enjoyed physics and laser-related projects. With help and guidance from others, I embarked upon my lifelong dream of successfully building my very own lasers.

Jarrod on the Web:
https://www.jarrodkinsey.org/
http://www.jarrodkinsey.com/pages/laserpower.html
http://www.jarrodkinsey.com/pages/howtobuild.html (sneak preview)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12049698@N02/

FREE and Open to All! No RSVP required.