World's most powerful laser: Why it's not the next Death Star
Japanese scientists say they鈥檝e fired a beam equivalent to 1,000 times the world鈥檚 electricity consumption.
Japanese scientists say they鈥檝e fired a beam equivalent to 1,000 times the world鈥檚 electricity consumption.
We鈥檝e seen laser beams do some incredible things. From pioneering the interactive hologram, to holding microscopic objects too delicate for human hands, to improving our eyesight, the possibilities of the laser seem endless.
This week, Japanese scientists have upped the ante once again, as they confirm they鈥檝e fired the most powerful laser beam in the world.
Researchers at Osaka University鈥檚 Institute of Laser Engineering have produced a beam that concentrates the equivalent of 1,000 times the world鈥檚 electricity consumption, reported the Asahi Shimbun.
The giant laser is named LFEX, or Laser for Fast Ignition Experiments, and measures a staggering 300 feet long.
The Japanese team was 鈥渁ble to generate so much power so quickly thanks to a series of glass 鈥榣amps鈥� that amplified the laser as it passed through them,鈥� reported Engadget.
The laser beam of two petawatts (two quadrillion watts) lasted just one picosecond, or a trillionth of a second. The incredibly short burst released enough power to run a microwave for about two seconds.
Until now, the world has only seen a laser produce half that amount of power 鈥� from a 1-petawatt laser housed at the University of Texas at Austin.
Osaka University scientists claim that their pulse (2 petawatts at 1 picosecond) is about 100 times the energy of UT Austin鈥檚 laser, and twice its peak power, according to The Daily Mail.
鈥淣aturally, the announcement was immediately met with comparisons to the聽Death Star,鈥� wrote Defense One鈥檚 Patrick Tucker.
But Michael Donovan, associate director of the Texas Petawatt Laser project, says these comparisons are misguided.
Firstly, since power is energy over time, it鈥檚 important to remember that the amount of energy used is actually very little, he told Popular Science. 鈥淭he energy of the Texas Petawatt, 150 to 200 Joules, is about that in a cup of coffee or a very hard tennis serve.鈥�
Secondly, while the magnitude of the LFEX is impressive, it鈥檚 not likely to introduce new military capabilities, added Dr. Donovan.
Because petawatt lasers ionize the air they come in contact with, they only work in a vacuum, he explained to Defense One.
鈥淚f one wanted to destroy a satellite, the Japanese聽LFEX聽laser would not be the answer, as it would not propagate far through the atmosphere 鈥� even if it could be pointed towards the satellite,鈥� he said.
But the Osaka team鈥檚 priorities lie elsewhere.
鈥淲ith heated competition in the world to improve the performance of lasers, our goal now is to increase our output to 10 petawatts,鈥� the institute's Junji Kawanaka, an associate professor of electrical engineering, said in a statement.