Youtuber develops the world's most powerful hand laser
Youtuber StyroPyro has increased the power of a portable laser to 250 watts. This makes it probably the world's most powerful handheld laser.
The Laser 2025 from StyroPyro.
(Image: StyroPyro (Screenshot))
US YouTuber and chemist Drake Anthony, better known by his pseudonym StyroPyro, has developed a powerful portable laser with an output of 250 watts. The hand-held laser, which is simply called “Laser 2025”, is said to be the most powerful in the world and can burn through various materials. The laser was built largely from high-tech and standard components that StyroPyro found on eBay.
In the USA, commercially available laser pointers are limited to a power of 5 mW, in Europe 1mW. This is to ensure that no damage can be caused, and ultimately to protect consumers from themselves. However, StyroPyro knows what it is doing. It has already developed various lasers. The last model produced around 100 watts. When developing and testing the lasers, the YouTuber wears safety goggles to prevent eye damage and sometimes safety clothing. The tests also take place under controlled laboratory conditions.
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Achieving a laser output of 250 watts requires powerful components and a great deal of expertise. Finally, the laser needs to be housed in a compact, portable casing. StyroPyro chose a decommissioned laser gun of the type used for speed measurement. The housing is made of metal and has a shielding effect. The main component of the hand-held laser is a laser array of blue laser diodes. The hobbyist got hold of them on eBay, where he often purchases decommissioned high-tech components for other projects. These include high-power industrial laser diodes.
Shifting the power limits
However, the laser array used could not achieve the desired output, so StyroPyro pushed it to its limits. The laser array and the necessary control electronics, which the hobbyist himself developed specifically for the laser, therefore still had to be cooled. To achieve this, he mounted a container for water cooling under the housing. He also focused the laser beam with a special lens combination.
StyroPyro tested the finished hand-held laser on various materials, including plastics and metals. Depending on the thickness, the laser cuts through the material immediately or within a few seconds, such as a penny. The YouTuber demonstrates the performance of the Laser 2025 by heating aluminum oxide. The material was heated to such an extent that it crystallized into gem-like structures.
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The Laser 2025 is around 400 times more powerful than the most dangerous laboratory lasers. Its use is correspondingly problematic. For this reason, it is expressly stated here that the project should not be replicated. However, StyroPyro itself has no concerns that this could happen. The relevant components would first have to be procured, which are difficult to obtain. In addition, the development is so technically complex that it is unlikely that anyone else will produce a similar laser.
(olb)
