Antique Laser

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BobH

Antique Laser

Post by BobH »

I just took delivery of my new laser, another real blast from the past. In this case though, it's a wave from the past. It's a 1962 Perkin-Elmer/Spectra-Physics Model 110 Helium Neon gas laser. This was probably the first visible CW laser commercially available ("The Laser in America", Bromberg, pg 121), and the model of laser used by Leith & Upatnieks to make their first holograms ("Holographic Visions", Johnston, pg 108). This one is complete, with its power supply and an in-line RF control unit including a start button! The pics below are of it on Sam's site, where I found it.

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I've had a P-E/S-P Model 111 laser head for over 20 years and always thought that was probably old enough to have been the type used to make the first holograms, but never really dug into it. After the publication of Holographic Visions, and subsequent private communication with Karl Stetson (via this forum), I now believe they used the Model 110 to make their first holograms of 2-D objects. The tube of the Model 111 is much bigger than the Model 110 (44" versus 21") however, and it was available right when they bought a laser for their own use (the one they used for the first 2-D holograms was borrowed). This all makes me now think it may have been the Model 111 that led to success with 3-D objects. The center section of my 111 head is below:

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The model 110 is a cute little laser! It has a gas fill valve and no getter. The head is 26" long, 9" high and 6" deep. The tubular covers are crudely made of fiberglas with simple holes drilled into the ends. There are vacuum tubes under the cover of the head. :) Did I mention it has a starter button? :) :) It apparently has a leaky fill valve and leaks around the Brewster windows. There was RTV gooped all over the window epoxy from an attempt to seal the leaks there. I cleaned it all off, but there's a residue where it covered the windows themselves that I didn't want to scrub on so I just left it. Other than the leaks, it's missing its original mirrors and boots but it should work otherwise. Big drag about the mirrors being lost, as it's the fact that this was the first visible wavelength laser available that makes it really special. Maybe Spectra-Physics still has stock from 46 years ago?
Colin Kaminski

Antique Laser

Post by Colin Kaminski »

Nice find! What film do you think they used? Transmission only right?
BobH

Antique Laser

Post by BobH »

I don't know, but I'd guess Kodak 649F spectroscopic plates. I'm going to have to look up their original papers to see what they say about the equipment used. I'd love to make the 110 lase again, but don't really want to mess with the original windows and glue. I'd also have to remove the fill valve and replace it, risking the tube in the process. I'd take the risks if I ever get a hold of a Johnson era hologram. Reconstructing one of those images with this laser would be like playing classical music with period instruments. :D
BobH

Antique Laser

Post by BobH »

but I'd guess Kodak 649F spectroscopic plates
I just scanned through an article by Leith from March of '62 about using photographic films for coherent optical systems, where he ends up with Kodak Tri-X Pan. Hans Bjelkhagen's book "Selected Papers on Holographic Recording Materials also has a short note from W. T. Cathy from November 1964 on using Kodak 649F for making phase recordings. That must have been what I was thinking about.
Colin Kaminski

Antique Laser

Post by Colin Kaminski »

BobH wrote:Reconstructing one of those images with this laser would be like playing classical music with period instruments. :D
Be careful you don't want to baroque it. :lol:
Dutchelm05

Antique Laser

Post by Dutchelm05 »

Many years ago I had a model 110 laser which was not working. Early one morning I was probling the high voltage and got nailed, it knocked me on me butt and I let a yell out. My wife at the time yelled at me to keep the noise down, she was still trying to sleep. I gave up on the laser (and later that wife) and built an argon laser. I sure miss that laser :wink:
Thanks for sharing Bob!
BobH

Antique Laser

Post by BobH »

What happened to the 110? Where is it now?
Dutchelm05

Antique Laser

Post by Dutchelm05 »

I traded it for a HeCd which treated me much nicer.
BobH

Antique Laser

Post by BobH »

Did you trade it to a guy named John Cole?

This afternoon, I went by the old Spectra-Physics facility in Mountain View. This was the building I went to looking for a job, right after finishing the LEOT program and moving to California (in 1981). I was hired as a Plasma-tube Technician and put to work on small CO2 lasers. It's where they make He-Ne lasers (at least it used to be). I visited there in '83 I think, to see Nils Abramson working with his Light-in-Flight holograms of a propeller blade. But I digress.

I went by there because someone who works there now, whom I spoke to at the Maiman Tribute Symposium last month, said they have a display of very old lasers in the lobby there, and I wanted to take a look. I found them! A long cabinet full of old SP laser stuff, in a big conference room. :D They had both Model 110 and Model 112 laser heads without power supplies. The 110 had tubular metal covers and no fill valve (the valve on mine was installed by the guy I bought it from). The 112 was pretty messed up, with no cover, no boots and a broken tube. Pretty much everything else was typical of what you might find in the miscellaneous bin at a good surplus dealer. Some nice old ion laser stuff too.

In any case, according to the card their 110 was donated by a Mr. John Cole. Now that I know what the tubular covers are supposed to be, I'm back on the hunt! 8) :shock: 8)
Dutchelm05

Antique Laser

Post by Dutchelm05 »

BobH wrote:Did you trade it to a guy named John Cole?
Hey Bob, I traded it to one of the guys from Laser Rays, the light show guys.
I wanted the HeCd to work on enbossing stuff, did a photo-resist of a nickel but it never compaired to DCG.
As a ex-Spectra guy as well, the 80's were a great time to be in the bussiness. I worked in the Final Test group doing ion lasers, then laser nirvana, the dye lasers, ring lasers and AO devices. Back then Bob, I remember the days when the guys use to light their cigarettes using a 100k 171 argon laser. They use to shoot laser across the room to burn people (UV of coarse). And my first day there, one of the guys sprayed acetone around my feet and lit it, when I didn't react and continued working, I was in.
Bob may not have remembered me back then but I remember him because of his passion about holography. I went to his apartment once and I recall a whole room with a table and mirrors and mounts coming from every orifice :) I had a case of laser envy :)
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