RE: Laser Weapon Operational
December 11, 2014 at 2:34 pm
(This post was last modified: December 11, 2014 at 2:35 pm by vorlon13.)
I'm sure a cubical, retroreflector for returning enough of a laser beam to the source laser could not be machined precisely enough to do the job. Also, whatever is being attacked would need to be completely covered with the retroreflectors, and there would a prohibitive cost, either weight, performance or cost that could not be overcome, even if it would work.
Further, if a retroreflector did work well enough to do the job, the energy in the beam would double every interval of time it takes for the beam to go between the laser and the target and back. Either the laser or the retroreflector will fail first as the power increases, or, if used in the atmosphere, the beam energy will become high enough that interactions with the air will defocus the beam, and neither would be destroyed.
Further, if a retroreflector did work well enough to do the job, the energy in the beam would double every interval of time it takes for the beam to go between the laser and the target and back. Either the laser or the retroreflector will fail first as the power increases, or, if used in the atmosphere, the beam energy will become high enough that interactions with the air will defocus the beam, and neither would be destroyed.
