Researchers create Star Wars 'superlaser' in the lab: Scientists at Macquarie University have developed a laser similar to the sci-fi superlaser used by the Death Star in Star Wars. A superlaser combines the multiple laser beams into a single beam.
"Researchers are developing high power lasers to combat threats to security from the increased proliferation of low-cost drones and missile technology," Rich Mildren, an associate professor of physics at Macquarie, said in a news release. "High power lasers are also needed in space applications including powering space vehicles and tackling the growing space junk problem that threatens satellites."
The convergence of laser beams was achieved using an ultra-pure diamond crystal. The crystal transfers the power of multiple beams into a single strand without sacrificing energy through distortion. During the convergence, the new superlaser beam assumes a new color.
