Physicists break records with 45-metre laser; Look

A study accepted in the scientific journal Physical Examination XPublished as a preprint on arVix (article not yet peer-reviewed), it points out: scientists managed to create a pulse laser 45 meters long autofocus. This is a new record held in a hallway at the University of Maryland (UMD) in the United States.

According to physicist Howard Milchberg, lead author of the study, the self-focusing laser pulse trapped in an ‘air cage’ could be much longer. He explains that a simple adjustment to the laser and a longer corridor will show even more impressive results.

The information gained during the study could help find new forms of laser-based communication and even weapons technologies. Scientists explain that lasers can help humanity in many areas, but the light must be directed correctly so that it does not spread on the road and does not lose its power.

“It was truly a unique experience. There’s a lot of work involved in doing laser shooting outside of the lab that you don’t have to deal with when you’re outside of the lab, like wearing curtains to protect your eyes. It was absolutely exhausting,” said Andrew Goffin, an electrical engineering graduate student working on the project.

the future of lasers

The waveguide technique is commonly used to efficiently direct the laser and keep the light’s electromagnetic waves in a directed path – the UMD researchers used the air waveguide. It is a great example of a fiber optic waveguide because it will keep the light on its way to its final destination, even on bends.

In 2014, scientists tested an air waveguide laser that only reached 70 centimeters in length. To achieve current success, they needed to adapt the university corridor to keep the laser in full control.

To increase enrollment, scientists will need a controlled environment with more space. They argue that releasing the laser outside of the labs is still a big problem, mainly due to the lack of equipment and control needed to carry out the experiment.