High School Can Lasers Really Create a Functional Light Saber?

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Using the inverse square law, it is theoretically possible to create a light saber-like effect using thousands of micro lasers arranged side by side to form a coherent beam. However, this approach would not produce a true light saber as depicted in movies. The discussion highlights that while a single laser beam can be extended infinitely with diminishing strength, this method is overly complex. For more practical applications of coordinated light sources, concepts like phased array radar and Huygen’s wavelets are suggested. The thread concludes that the initial premise is based on a misunderstanding of laser technology.
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TL;DR
Mirco lasers, inverse square law.
I believe using the inverse square law it would be possible to produce a light saber made from lasers. By placing thousands of micro laser side by side a limited length beam could be formed but the combined energy would produce a seemingly single beam with the total energy accumulated from all the micro lasers.
 
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That won’t make a light saber (if by that you mean something like from the movies). Arrange your lasers properly and we can get a single laser beam extending out to infinity and weakening according to the inverse square law, but that’s just a single laser done in an unnecessarily complicated and difficult way.

For a more interesting application of multiple coordinated light sources, you might try reading about how phased array radar beams are steered, and also learn about “Huygen’s wavelets” which will be the general principle behind all such arrangements of light sources.

This thread is closed, as it based on a misunderstanding.
 
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