Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: LASER cutters
Message-ID: <1990Mar1.183939.1108@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <44900003@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <2232@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <532@sierra.stanford.edu> <21050@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: Thu, 1 Mar 90 18:39:39 GMT

In article <21050@netnews.upenn.edu> jliu@pender (.) writes:
>>3. How would & what is the best way/method of containing the laser beam, after
>>   it penatrates the material, OR if the beam is running & there isn't any
>>   material to penatrate.
>
>Well, assuming that a lens is used to focus the laser beam at one point, you 
>could place a solar cell beyond the focal point of the lens to recirculate
>the power pumped into the laser...

Remember that the best readily-available solar cells are only about 15%
efficient, and that there are limits to how much light they can take
without overheating and failing.  Not workable, I'm afraid.
-- 
MSDOS, abbrev:  Maybe SomeDay |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
an Operating System.          | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu