[Ultra-Tech] Multi-Mode Laser

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

And then we mount it on the lizards?

Not sharks?

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by Anthony

What definition of 'work' are we using here? It's not like free electron lasers don't already work. Work as weapons?

Not weapons (at least, that isn't the targeted application). It would be a compact, rugged, potentially efficient source of coherent light in the millimeter, terahertz, and long-wave IR region of the spectrum; with applications for long range chemical sensing, explosives detection, biohazard detection, orbital environmental surveillance, and imaging radar. That's what the proposal is for. "Work", in terms of this proposal, is demonstrating that the device can be built and emit light in the predicted spectral range. The whole scheme is fairly speculative, and there's a fair chance that we won't get it to do anything. Note that this is not actually a free electron laser, just conceptually similar to one in some ways (and I don't want to say much more than that without having the folks dealing with legal and IP issues giving the go-ahead, just in case there are millions in patent licencing fees involved).

Of course, if it does turn out to have a high specific power and scaling down to shorter wavelengths isn't an issue, there may be weapons applications in the future.

Luke

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

And then we mount it on the lizards?

Bow down before my army of lizard minions! (hey! Why are you looking at my leg like you want to eat it? Aaaargh! No! Get off, all of you get off! Bad lizards! Aargh!)

Hmmm, maybe untrainable, low-intelligence, hunger-driven reptiles are not the best choice of minions. Time to start working on robots.

Luke

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

Bow down before my army of lizard minions! (hey! Why are you looking at my leg like you want to eat it? Aaaargh! No! Get off, all of you get off! Bad lizards! Aargh!)

Hmmm, maybe untrainable, low-intelligence, hunger-driven reptiles are not the best choice of minions. Time to start working on robots.

Luke

Robot Lizards? Hmmmmm?

Ok, sorry to threadcrap in my hero worship with Luke. But please cup up the good work man, and I hope your project works!