Trapping Light with Elliptical Mirrors: Possibility or Impossibility?

  • Thread starter ffleming7
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Beam Light
In summary, you could theoretically create a laser beam that would continuously bounce off of mirrors, but it would be very difficult and would require a vacuum to do so.
  • #1
ffleming7
25
0
I was wondering if you could put a laser beam into a set of mirrors and then once you turn the laser off, have the laser still bouncing off the mirrors. The only way I could think of was if you used a beam splitter like in the diagram.
 

Attachments

  • laser.bmp
    278.3 KB · Views: 508
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
What you are suggesting could work, but it would be very difficult to align the mirrors welll enough to sustain the light for any long period of time.
Also it would be much simpler to use two parallel mirrors (easier to align).
Depending on your application, perhaps an elliptical mirror would work better (although, i don't think that's especially feasible either...)
 
  • #3
lzkelley said:
Also it would be much simpler to use two parallel mirrors (easier to align).
That makes sense.
lzkelley said:
Depending on your application, perhaps an elliptical mirror would work better (although, i don't think that's especially feasible either...)
either...)
What is an elliptical mirror?
 
  • #4
Not really any reason why it can't be done, other than the fact that mirrors don't reflect 100% of the light incident on them, they will alway absorb a little bit of it. The quality of the mirror will dictate how much it reflects/absorbs. Because light is so fast, it will get a lot of bounces very quickly and degrade into nothing in a few microseconds...
 
  • #5
.. and I'm assuming you want to suspend a beam of light because it will "look cool." Problem is, it won't work if you can see it. Seeing it would mean photons are bouncing off something and flying into your eyes, a.k.a. more light lost.

In fact you couldn't really do it in air at all, it would have to be in a vacuum.
 
  • #6
An elliptical mirror is one that is designed in an elliptical shape --> which is a conic section, or closed curve - like a squished circle. Ellipses have the special property of 2 very elegant focus points, which would make it a lot easier to trap light in a region at the same time as having a place to insert it from.
It would certainly need to be in a vacuum to remain for long periods of time (so as to prevent the light from interacting / getting absorbed by particles in the air).
Mirrors can't reflect all light anywhere close to 100% efficiently, but to my knowledge, when created for a particular frequency (or small frequency range), mirrors can be made to essentially (though still not quite) 100% efficiency.
The general conclusion is that keeping light bouncing back and forth in any small, defined region, indefinitely, would be impossible; but with a lot of trouble you can keep it contained for increasing periods of time.
 

1. Can a light beam be suspended in mid-air?

No, a light beam cannot be suspended in mid-air. Light is an electromagnetic wave and requires a medium, such as air or a solid object, to travel through. Without a medium, the light beam would dissipate and not be visible.

2. Is it possible to suspend a light beam using magnets?

Yes, it is possible to suspend a light beam using magnets. This is known as magnetic levitation and involves using strong magnetic fields to counteract the force of gravity on the light beam. However, this requires specialized equipment and is not a practical method of suspending a light beam.

3. Can a light beam be suspended using lasers?

No, a light beam cannot be suspended using lasers. Lasers are used to create light beams, but they cannot be used to suspend them. The energy from a laser beam dissipates as it travels, so it cannot be used to hold a light beam in place.

4. Is there a way to suspend a light beam without any physical support?

No, there is currently no way to suspend a light beam without any physical support. As mentioned earlier, light requires a medium to travel through, so it cannot be suspended without a physical object or material to support it.

5. Can a light beam be suspended for an indefinite amount of time?

No, a light beam cannot be suspended for an indefinite amount of time. This is because light beams are constantly in motion and cannot remain in one place for too long. Additionally, the medium supporting the light beam may change or dissipate over time, causing the beam to fall.

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
172
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
0
Views
184
Replies
16
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
51
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
18
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • DIY Projects
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
594
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
7
Views
2K
Back
Top