Using a magnifying lens with the sun as the source, one can focus the light in a single point. Is it possible to use just lenses, or any number of transparent materials of any particular shapes, to focus sunlight into a line and not just a point, and turning it into what I think is called a "focused beam of light"? Is it possible to do with just transparent materials?
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$\begingroup$ A cylindrical lens will focus sunlight into a "line of light", but that is not the same as a beam. There are, however, ways of making a nearly ideal and monochromatic beam out of sunlight: we use a solar panel to generate electricity and then power a laser with that electricity. The process is lossy, but not nearly as lossy as attempts would be to do this directly with passive optical mechanisms like lenses. The reasons for that are ultimately thermodynamical in nature. $\endgroup$– FlatterMannCommented May 10, 2023 at 12:54
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$\begingroup$ A focused beam is one with the rays converging to a focal point or maybe focal area. What you describe for the first case is already a focused beam. $\endgroup$– nasuCommented May 10, 2023 at 13:05
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$\begingroup$ @FlatterMann I don't mind if the process is lossy as long as the result is a line of focused sunlight. Is the process you're talking about doable with only transparent materials? $\endgroup$– Wajih AzizaCommented May 10, 2023 at 13:23
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$\begingroup$ @nasu I did a quick search. Is the proper term "parallel light" then? Or "Collimated beam"? $\endgroup$– Wajih AzizaCommented May 10, 2023 at 13:24
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$\begingroup$ Transparent materials are not lossy be definition. So, no, the process is not possible "merely" with transparent materials. $\endgroup$– FlatterMannCommented May 10, 2023 at 13:27
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