A gentler, more precise laser cutting technique:
Laser cutting techniques are usually powered by high energy beams, so hot that they melt most materials. Now scientists from McGill University have developed a gentler, more precise technique using low-power visible light.
The new process called 'cold photo-carving' uses a fraction of the energy required in traditional laser cutting techniques. "We engineered crystal building blocks that can be cut by low-power light with amazing precision. Unlike traditional heat cutting methods, sculpting down to a resolution of nanometers is possible with our approach because light can be focused more precisely than heat can," says Professor Tomislav Friščić of the Department of Chemistry.
According to the researchers, the new technique could also be used to engrave complex patterns into surfaces. "Imagine taking the famous geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert in Peru and engraving that pattern at a million-times the reduced size," say Professor Friščić. The researchers hope that the new approach could one day be developed to create new materials like metals or ceramics that are easily shaped or cut using low-power light and are now looking at potential applications in solar cell materials.
Journal Reference:
Borchers, T. H., Topić, F., Christopherson, J.-C., et al. Cold photo-carving of halogen-bonded co-crystals of a dye and a volatile co-former using visible light, Nature Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-00909-0)
(Score: 0, Troll) by HammeredGlass on Thursday July 07 2022, @05:05PM (5 children)
people who listen to the media all their bullshit weasel words, polarizing word choices, and subjective, qualifying adjectives find these words compelling because they infer meaning where there is none to a lazy, unthinking public
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mhajicek on Thursday July 07 2022, @05:42PM (4 children)
Their technique only applies to their special crystal material, so it's useless for 99.999% of laser cutting applications.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday July 07 2022, @06:33PM
Which is what I figured, I just didn't care enough to go looking. It may be useful for some application, but it's not useful from a general hobbyist perspective.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 07 2022, @07:30PM (1 child)
Their crystal is also sensitive to visible light. I'm assuming that brightness is a factor, but what would a camera flash do to it?
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday July 07 2022, @08:15PM
Do what? It might erode the surface, but it wouldn't smoothly carve it.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 08 2022, @12:42AM
Are you saying engraving the pattern of the famous geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert in Peru at a million-times the reduced size is useless??