Answers.Body: <p>The way most stage laser effects work is by using a holographic plate or diffraction grating which splits the single beam up into multiple beams. </p>
  
  <p><em>[image removed due to a DMCA request from copyright holder]</em></p>
  
  <p>These then pass to further holographic elements to provide shapes and lines, and these can then be manipulated further with lenses or mirrors.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T08:53:49.263Z
Answers.Text: That's pretty cool. So it works a little bit like the [double-slit experiment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment)?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Polynomial
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T08:57:55.350Z
Answers.Text: Very much so - when I did my laser optics course we actually used double slit slides, but apparently now holographic plates are all the rage, and can produce from 2 to millions of individual beams!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dr Mayhem
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T09:12:21.710Z
Answers.Text: I'll have to look into holographic plates. Might warrant a post on physics.SE, actually.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Polynomial
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T09:49:00.477Z
Answers.Text: Any idea what a good search term is for finding these plates? eBay produces some [undesirable results](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150947939673) if you search for "holographic plate".
Answers.UserDisplayName: Polynomial
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T10:03:05.880Z
Answers.Text: "holograph laser elements" seems to work okay
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dr Mayhem
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T13:07:09.960Z
Answers.Text: very cool indeed :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: JoshP
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-11T08:46:53.293Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-05-02T02:47:02.177Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-05-02T02:47:02.177Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dr Mayhem
Body: <p>I'm not entirely sure if this is on-topic here, since it's about stage lighting rather than audio or video directly, but I'll give it a shot.</p>
  
  <p>I've been looking at various types of laser stage lighting, and I'm trying to work out how they work internally. I figure the scanning lasers (single fast-moving beam) work by firing a single laser onto a rotating mirror, or a mirror controlled by servos for more precise movements.</p>
  
  <p>However, I can't figure out how the cluster lasers work. I'd guess there's some kind of prism in there, or some trickery with a set of mirrors and lenses that somehow "split" the beam, but I can't quite figure it out. My first thought was a fixed prism, but that wouldn't explain how these devices can spread, focus and rotate the beams.</p>
  
  <p>How do these laser effects usually work?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-12-10T23:26:13.410Z
Comments.Text: The question as to whether lighting questions are on topic or not [has been asked](http://meta.avp.stackexchange.com/questions/177/are-lighting-questions-on-topic), though I don't think it's been settled.  There are a number of questions tagged [lighting], though most of those have a production angle.  You're a little bit in uncharted territory here.
Comments.UserDisplayName: JoshP
Tags: <effects><lighting>
Title: Cluster laser stage lighting
UserDisplayName: Polynomial
ThreadText: # Cluster laser stage lighting
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-12-10)
  
  I'm not entirely sure if this is on-topic here, since it's about stage lighting rather than audio or video directly, but I'll give it a shot.
  
  I've been looking at various types of laser stage lighting, and I'm trying to work out how they work internally. I figure the scanning lasers (single fast-moving beam) work by firing a single laser onto a rotating mirror, or a mirror controlled by servos for more precise movements.
  
  However, I can't figure out how the cluster lasers work. I'd guess there's some kind of prism in there, or some trickery with a set of mirrors and lenses that somehow "split" the beam, but I can't quite figure it out. My first thought was a fixed prism, but that wouldn't explain how these devices can spread, focus and rotate the beams.
  
  How do these laser effects usually work?
  
  **Tags:** effects, lighting
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: The question as to whether lighting questions are on topic or not [has been asked](http://meta.avp.stackexchange.com/questions/177/are-lighting-questions-on-topic), though I don't think it's been settled.  There are a number of questions tagged [lighting], though most of those have a production angle.  You're a little bit in uncharted territory here.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2012-12-11. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  The way most stage laser effects work is by using a holographic plate or diffraction grating which splits the single beam up into multiple beams.
  
  *[image removed due to a DMCA request from copyright holder]*
  
  These then pass to further holographic elements to provide shapes and lines, and these can then be manipulated further with lenses or mirrors.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: That's pretty cool. So it works a little bit like the [double-slit experiment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment)?  
  > **username_2**: Very much so - when I did my laser optics course we actually used double slit slides, but apparently now holographic plates are all the rage, and can produce from 2 to millions of individual beams!  
  > **username_0**: I'll have to look into holographic plates. Might warrant a post on physics.SE, actually.  
  > **username_0**: Any idea what a good search term is for finding these plates? eBay produces some [undesirable results](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150947939673) if you search for "holographic plate".  
  > **username_2**: "holograph laser elements" seems to work okay  
  > **username_1**: very cool indeed :)  
  
  ---
  
  