I would like to electrically modulate and deflect the light from a laser.
I could possibly do the modulation via the power supply, but the deflection is another pair of sleeves. There is a mechanical solution by means of mirrors, but this is too slow to write a stable image, for example.
Most likely the required energy and/or magnets may be too large for this?
Answer
Hi Dirk,
Here you are overlooking one thing, and it is quite important. An electron beam consists of particles with an electrical charge (electrons). That’s their passport to interact with an electric or magnetic field, and you can indeed deflect your electron beam. But a light beam is made up of photons, and although light can be described as “electromagnetic radiation”, photons do not interact with electric or magnetic fields at all. The only thing you can use to deflect a light beam is a gravitational field, but that is of no practical importance for deflecting a laser beam at home.
Conclusion: you are indeed condemned to use mirrors to deflect your laser beam, I’m afraid.
Answered by
Dr Christophe Vande Velde
chemistry, organic chemistry, organic synthesis, materials science, organic electronics, crystallography, x-ray diffraction, structure-property relations, organic solar cells
Prinsstraat 13 2000 Antwerp
http://www.uantwerpen.be
.