Re: Slow speed light and possible RP laser control implications?

From: B. O'Neill (w.oneill@liverpool.ac.uk)
Date: Mon Feb 22 1999 - 11:16:37 EET


Unless the medium that the light is passing through has a very high
non-linear susceptibility tensor, then you will not observe the effect.

I think the RP industry can rest assured it will not need to rely on
snail-pace photons

In any event, slowing the light down will not increase resolution.

best regards

Bill O'Neill

Dr. Bill O'Neill
EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow - Laser Based Micro Engineering
Room 112, Ashton Building
Department of Engineering
University of Liverpool
Liverpool L69 3BX

Tel: 0151-794-4903
Fax: 0151-794-4693

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Monica & Glenn Whiteside <SiderWhite@worldnet.att.net>
> To: Rapid Prototype Mailing List <rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi>
> Date: 22 February 1999 00:48
> Subject: Slow speed light and possible RP laser control implications?
>
>
> >Just read a very interesting article where a group of physicists at
Rowland
> >Institute for Science at Cambridge and Harvard University were able to
slow
> >the speed of light to a leisurely 38 mph by shooting a laser through
> >extremely cold (-459.67 degrees below zero) sodium atoms (this high
density
> >group of atoms is called a Bose-Einstein condensate) which worked like
> >"optical molasses" to slow the light down. The lead researcher, a
Danish
> >physicist named Lene Vestergaard Hau, envisioned improved communications
> >technology, televison displays, even night-vision devices. The
scientists
> >believe it is possible to slow it 1,000 times further - to a crawl.
> >
> >I'm wondering what the implications of this would be to the RP industry,
> >especialliy how it relates to the control of laser light used in
processes
> >like stereolithography. Would this also enable a more precise and
accurate
> >control of UV and/or infrared energy? Especially for creating extremely
> >fine details? Speed up the laser for certain features and slow it down
for
> >others? Any further thoughts or ideas on this?
> >
> >Best Regards,
> >
> >Glenn Whiteside
> >
> >
> >
> >For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
> >
>

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