> sys > diy-uv-air-laser-styropyro

DIY Laser Made from Thin Air!!

styropyro - 2018-01-05

It turns out that regular old air makes a laser beam when you blast it with high voltage! In this video I demonstrate one of these lasers as well as talk about how it works. 

social media sillyness:
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styro.drake 
patreon: https://www.patreon.com/styropyro

The laser that I built in this video is an example of a TEA laser, where diatomic nitrogen is the lasing medium. There have been plans for DIY TEA lasers around since the 1970s, so I am definitely not the first one to do this!

Here is a great resource for building a nitrogen TEA laser, and this was the first resource I read when I wanted to build my own: http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm
(this guy also has tons of other cool info on lasers, and is an expert on DIY lasers of all different kinds)

The capacitors were made with aluminum foil and polyethylene sheeting. The dielectric film can be another material than polyethylene, and works best when it is roughly 3 to 6 mil thick. In my design I keep the top plate at ground potential and the bottom at high voltage, as this decreases shock hazard. 

The charging circuit is a flyback transformer (ripped from an old CRT TV) hooked up to an off the shelf ZVS (zero voltage switching) driver. This is kinda overkill, but it allows it to run at fairly fast repetition rates.

Salt Minor - 2018-01-05

Assuming the average human life is 12.6 years is a bit generous.

Shuckie Ddarns - 2019-12-08

@styropyro I found this assumption hilarious because of the inherent risk of what you love doing, what we love watching you doing.

Flo Vi - 2019-12-15

Maybe its an anti vaxx life

daniel daniel - 2020-01-06

antivax kids would die for that long of a life span

anik dey - 2020-01-09

If an average human starts doing these experiments ... I won't be surprised

Peter Smythe - 2020-01-29

I mean, if your parents are antivaxxers, that's much, much too high.

Malcolm Boyd - 2018-01-05

(assuming human lifetime = 12.6 years) - only if you try this.

Nerk Durgen - 2019-10-19

Or if your a child with anti-vax parents

DEXTRAS 07 - 2019-12-27

@Nerk Durgen 12.6 is waaaaay high

P.Ahmad - 2018-01-05

"Oh yea, don't try this at home or whatever"
-styropyro 2018

Kolelo Karam - 2018-01-05

You surely can, but don't.

Tyler Wallace - 2018-01-05

Never leave this guy in a science lab drunk and alone

SADOMEN1 - 2018-12-29

@Rithik Kumar Or Ticked

Samir Nub - 2019-08-25

I would
I’d do it just to see what happens

Samir Nub - 2019-08-25

Rithik Kumar I would

Luka Kresoja - 2019-09-09

"And this is a 2MW lazer i built at home" -Syropyro in a couple of years

lockspurt domader - 2019-11-18

3 seconds later



What da-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Jeffersonian1 - 2018-01-05

"Tony Stark built this in a cave! With a box of scraps!"

redstone craft guy - 2018-02-13

*was able to

KuraIthys - 2018-06-05

This is precisely the kind of weird shit MacGyver was known for.

Build explosives out of soap, some cotton wool, a paper clip and a battery? No problem!
Laser out of some foil and plastic? Sure.

Dig a hole when all you have is some duct tape and a sheet of paper? Easy!

Yeah, that show was weird. XD

boomchacle - 2018-12-07

KuraIthys I can build a bomb out of a roll of toilet paper and a stick of dynamite.

Short E - 2019-01-07

Comparing him to Iron Man is an honor.

kosa kata - 2019-09-02

sasuke can make it without any material XD

Rheece Syson - 2018-01-05

"oh yeah don't try this at home" god dammit also stop saying it's simple because that will make idiots more likely to try it

Le Cricket - 2019-02-24

It’s natural selection

Agdaan Ahaan - 2019-03-04

17'5 70 n07 g37 5u3d, my dud3

M1AK - 2019-08-17

@Ace Tanaka good thing your channel is dead

David Laeer - 2019-12-31

He has to do it to make himself lawyer proof in case someone actually injures themselves

Ryan C - 2020-02-14

He's just trying to get that average human lifespan down to 12.6 years so he wouldn't need to make the editing correction anymore

ObeyToSurvive - 2019-12-15

"Don't do this at home."
"It's completely doable at home."

carl elg - 2018-01-05

Human life time = 12.6 years. What is that for life?

a name - 2018-01-06

it id da ugandan wae o lif

thepianoaddict - 2018-01-06

12.6 years your life time expectation if you try this at home.

Sjoerd - 2018-12-28

Mine xd

Medlawar _980 - 2019-02-25

Anti-vaxx kids

DarthZackTheFirst - 2019-06-01

no, i think 12.6 years is quite generous at light speed on the moving side!

Gerald Dolliver - 2018-12-09

Aluminum foil and plastic wrap
”This is technically the most powerful laser I've ever built”
Flex much

dale nassar - 2018-01-11

HEY DRAKE--Yes, an N2 laser actually exist in a lightning storm. I actually had a fully working N2 laser (one of the first ever built (early '70's). It's value: $250,000.00 dollars. I got it from a lab, whose manager sold it to me because it hadn't worked in a couple of decades--price:$250!!! It took a truck to haul it to my lab--when I saw it I couldn't believe my eyes--It was the one from an old "OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA" article which I had for years-this was the actual laser the article was based on! WOW!! There was no expense spared in building this thing! EVERYTHING gad safety features--it was 100% idiot-proof. I finally traced the problem down to a burned out thyratron. I verified this, by using a simple (LOUD) spark-gap to fire it. I finally got a replacement thyratron for cheap on ebay. Freaky: the silence of a N2 precision laser fired, rapid-pulse this way! Unfortunately, (Here in Louisiana), the flood of 2016 got it!!! But just the head--not the huge control box (which split a very strong table in half after resting on it a while. I pumped it down to optimal pressure and let a tank of pure N2 flow as it fired---amazing--things started glowing everywhere--I also used ordinary air at atmospheric (no) pumped pressure and got what most people see in a "N2 laser". You could control everything you could think of. No fixed voltages--these designers just stuck in huge variacs instead of transformer taps, etc., etc. It is packed in storage now--but I plan to unwrap it at a new location and FIX it!

BTW: For the usual laser (which is actually an optical oscillator rather than an amplifier) would actually have the acronym LOSER, but who would ever name this wonderful device a "loser"? However, the N2 laser is in reality, NOT an oscillator (as you mention) but an actual amplifier, so, as far as I know this is the only superradiant device that can be accurately called a 'LASER'. The active medium in this thing is a bit over a meter long! AND it actually has ONE mirror at the inner tube end--it makes two trips through what must be cool flowing N2 at this scale before emerging as a multi-mega-watt beam (....don't know the exact specs), but, as you stated, the energy J=W/s is quite low (mJ range, due to the tiny "s" in W/s)--it's the incredible speed that fires the MW's. BTY: I bet you would love playing around with thyratons.

VioletGiraffe - 2019-01-18

Thanks for your comment, very interesting and exciting stuff! Pity about that N2 laser. And your explanation of laser vs. "loser" shows how much I have to learn and how little I understand about lasers.

Nerk Durgen - 2019-03-29

"Assuming human life is 12.6 years"
Careful there you 're starting to sound like an antivaxxer

Tordenbob - 2018-01-05

Please build the laser you mentioned could theoretically be built hundreds of years ago!

Michael Adams - 2019-10-30

He just fuckin did goddamn

Achilles Lade - 2019-11-12

Dude... This is it...

ABO Salti - 2018-01-05

You're working out aren't you?

Francisco Vencedor - 2018-01-14

next laser idea: Human powered laser.

you imbecile - 2018-01-15

if styro's making laser weapons, and doing martial arts, I'd grant him the rank of master

Dr. Order - 2018-01-15

Bruce Lee Lightsaber Nunchucks https://youtu.be/FQC29joihwU

I Am Razor - 2018-11-13

@Dr. Order thanks for that link lol

Dr. Order - 2018-11-13

@I Am Razor / no prob / super cool eh?

Me and Fun Guy - 2018-01-05

Yay! Another video :DDD

yourdemond - 2018-01-06

now what if you put 2 parallel rails one to ground and send a rocket with a wire in to a storm could to catch the lightning and direct it in to the other rail .how much power would go in to it how much power would be turned in to laser energy
how many views would you get if you would make that video

ps please make that video

Neverduft [2nd account] - 2018-01-06

styropyro DO IT! >:]

bbl4tter - 2018-01-11

styropyro it’s possible to entice lightning strikes exactly where you want them using a kite, thin conductive wire, and a high voltage source. Kreosan did it on their channel. That could make an awesome laser blast.

Sedit T - 2018-08-03

How would the kite get in the air.. something tells me balloons would make much much more sense...

Corey - 2018-08-05

A hobby rocket with a wire filament would probably work best.

Joni 2333 - 2018-11-15

@styropyro just do it

Okkie Jansen - 2018-01-05

I love the comments you edited in. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to build a lazer at home (wouldn't want to waste those precious 12.6 years)

Cruz Carrillo - 2018-01-05

420 lase it

Olikiscrazy - 2018-01-06

"Nydrogen"

Cade Schumacher - 2018-01-06

Here I am 16 hours later after uploaded.. didn’t get the notification!? Nice vid👍

styropyro - 2018-01-06

I'm convinced YT doesn't notify the majority of my subscribers. A silent form of censorship...

Cade Schumacher - 2018-01-06

Darn YouTube is probably working with the NSA....

Discarded Ink - 2018-01-06

styropyro
I got the notification & then I immediately hit that like button lol 👍
(On my android)

RyuDarragh - 2018-05-22

I built one of these in the late 70's from a scientific American article...

Bashus Scratch - 2018-01-05

Man, that is wicked.
I know who I'm hiring when the aliens come and i need laser pewpews.

Dr. Order - 2018-01-14

Bashus Scratch Actually if you take into account that time never had a beginning then there is no higher order. ie. Aliens don't exist, and evolution is a fraudulent theory, because it most certainly is possible.

Dr. Order - 2018-01-14

Because what caused the cause of the caused effects

Kelvorax - 2018-02-01

Dr. Order but then, in theory, if the universe was infinite then it would be both encapsulating Earth and being encapsulated by Earth simultaneously, which is physically impossible

Dr. Order - 2018-02-01

doomdragon178 Why do they teach evolution when they haven't answered the mind body problem?

Shiny Mega Rayquaza - 2019-12-28

@Dr. Order what

Andre Phillipe - 2018-01-05

12.6 years, almost the same time that you created your channel. ;)

Seth Brocas - 2018-07-19

"Ey mate, want some tea?" "Nah other mate, I want T.E.A." "What's that mate?" "Well other mate, it's just as sweet as normal tea."

TimmacTR - 2018-01-08

You're a foken genius you know that mate?

therapistznd - 2018-01-05

Love you pappi

Lasky Labs - 2018-11-13

"You can try this at home! But don't try this at home!"

sam neale - 2018-01-06

You’re clearly a genius! Another awesome video btw!

Trevin R - 2018-01-07

"I'm show you an at home project" "dont try this at home"

Kevy Elyod - 2019-03-09

This guy should be working for MIT he is an amazing young man.

user name - 2018-02-04

WHAHA YOUTUBERS LOGIC: "DIY","DONT TRY THIS AT HOME" 😂😂😂

Sam Hoff - 2018-09-02

I think its safe if you use a 9v, something to dim the laserbeam a small transformer, and a xenon lamp for the spark gap.

〈Clex〉 - 2018-10-10

1: How do you know that the laser is oriented in the direction, and not in a completely wrong direction?
2: Could with work with a Piezoelectric Igniter?

Anthony - 2018-01-06

2:19 "Assuming human lifetime = 12.6 years."

Guess I'm on my third.

arafat hussain - 2019-06-21

I would love to see you doing some experiments regarding getting electric back out from a laser beam

TheDammit Man - 2019-08-12

"assuming the average human life time is 12.6 years"
-pyro, 2018

Peter Smythe - 2020-01-29

Soon: "Becoming a laser"

Marcus Skinner - 2018-12-08

"Oh yea dont try this at home or whatever"🤣🤣

Evander Stone - 2018-01-05

Interesting..

Jacob Reichert - 2019-02-15

DIY
Literally half a minute in "Oh and don't try this at home"

Caoimhin Tew - 2018-01-18

"Don't try this at home." Roughly translated: do it at a friend's house, his camera is better! :)

Cool!

hankyboy42594 - 2019-06-24

Does anyone have any recommendations for beginners books for chemistry and or lasers?

MaestroRigale - 2019-02-24

“Friggen laser beam,” huh? 😂😂😂

Armonté W - 2018-01-08

ahhh, more good content from my favorite youtuber :~)

Soumya - 2018-01-05

Its 3am here and I was going to bed when the notification arrived. Anyways Nice project. Waiting for the next videos.

Chris B - 2018-01-05

what??? so cool dude

Landon Swamp - 2019-12-23

So don’t do this at home unless I’m a professional, can I lie about being a professional though?

i just wanna say that - 2018-01-05

I never fully comprehend the procedures and calculations but I love watching all your videos! Your mind is definitely exceptional!

Beni Stingray - 2018-03-06

Ok i was impressed as you explained the math but then you started to build your own capacitors lol. Really cool things youre doing!

raymond estevao - 2018-01-06

get footage of the conference

Eddie Hitler - 2019-11-07

I'm a longevitous freak being that I'm almost 3 lifetimes old...

Grim Lock - 2018-06-19

Do you have a recommended contact at the optic manufacture I need to find a source for several optics and crystals