Scientists produce most powerful laser beam ever

Scientists at the National Ignition Facility have developed a laser system with 500 terawatts of power. That should help with research into nuclear fusion. Never before has such a powerful laser beam been developed.

According to the NIF, which is based in the US state of California, the laser consumed 500 terawatts, or 500 trillion watts, at its peak. That’s 1000 times the average power demand in the entire United States and the highest power ever for a laser. The laser system required 192 individual lasers, firing a few picoseconds apart, producing a collective beam, ultimately producing a UV light beam with an energy level of 1.85 megajoules.

Shortly before that, the scientists had already fired a beam with an energy of 1.89 megajoules, which means the highest energy level ever for a laser beam. Incidentally, a peak power of ‘only’ 423 terawatt was reached. High-energy beams are about 100 times more powerful than what conventional lasers can produce.

According to the scientists, such powerful lasers could help research into nuclear fusion with hydrogen atoms. Nuclear fusion could be used in the future to generate electricity, because a lot of energy is released. However, because a lot of energy has to be put into it to get the reaction going, nuclear fusion with the aim of generating electricity has not yet proved successful. Nuclear fusion occurs in the universe, among other things, in stars, which convert hydrogen atoms into helium and sometimes even heavier atoms.