[Laser] The Golly factor

[Thomas Upton]

I'm on a roll here tonight, but what attracts me to lasers is really the
"golly" factor.

Imagine a few milliwatts of light being so powerful that 20 miles away
it is brighter than anything else?  Golly!

As regards the helpful and friendly email from J. Forster, another
"golly" popped out of my memory.  There is a laser e-site on amateur
holography at which the use of a "glass marble" was used to take the
light (let's say left to right) of a laser on the left side, and bring
it to a fine point source on the right side.  The effect of the point
source is significant in producing the fine interference patterns needed
for holography.

The cone idea (light traveling down a tubular conical reflector from
wide end to smaller end) is my own, but in this great world some one
much more significant than I must have already researched it -- and
perhaps discovered its inapplicability!

Perhaps the difference in refraction at various wavelengths, thus making
the focus of a given wavelength at a different distance from the lens,
could be negated by the use of the "glass marble" at or near the focal
point of the refractor.

Preserve me from babbling on.

Best to all,

B^)  Tom Upton  AD6N