World's most powerful diode pumped solid state laser

July 5th, 2005 in Physics /

A revolutionary new laser under development at DOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory could drastically reduce casualties by U.S. forces.
The Solid State Heat Capacity Laser program has already successfully achieved world-record energy output.

The system will eventually allow infantry units to use a beam of invisible light to destroy incoming mortars, artillery shells and anti-tank missiles, as well as defusing buried landmines.

The Army's Space and Missile Defense Command is sponsoring the program, which uses a unique pulsed beam that fires 200 times per second, and can already easily burn a hole through an inch of carbon steel in approximately seven seconds.

Related link: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Source: DOE Pulse