https://interestingengineering.com/science/scientist-lasers-by-a-million-times
Researchers from South Korea and the UK may have discovered a novel method that could enable scientific lasers to be powered up to a million times more powerful than they already are.
Discover the composition of matter
A straightforward concept has been put out by researchers from the University of Strathclyde, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) to transform the upcoming generation of lasers. They propose that photons bunch together due to the differential in the density of plasma, which is totally ionized matter. This reminds me of how cars tend to clump together when they get to a steep incline. If this method works, laser power might be increased by almost a million times over what is currently possible.
The world’s most potent lasers have a peak output of about ten petawatts. STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is currently building the “Vulcan 20-20,” a powerful 20 petawatt laser. To put this into perspective, roughly one-third of the sun’s 173 petawatts (173 x 10^15 W) of solar radiation that reach Earth’s surface actually reaches the upper atmosphere. The comparison between a petawatt and 10^15 watts, an exawatt and 10^18 watts, and a zettawatt and 10^21 watts is made. Four times 10^26 watts, or 400,000 zettawatts, of power are produced by the sun.
“What happens when light intensity transcend levels that are usual on Earth is a significant and basic question. According to Professor Dino Jaroszynski of the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Physics, “high-power lasers allow scientists to explore what is known as the intensity frontier and answer basic questions on the nature of matter and the vacuum.”
Next-generation laser-plasma accelerators, which are thousands of times smaller than current accelerators, have been made possible by the use of terawatt to petawatt lasers to matter. The way science is conducted is changing as new technologies are made available to scientists. To further applications based on high-power lasers, we have established the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerator (SCAPA) at the University of Strathclyde,” he continued.
Scientists will be able to investigate a number of important topics with the aid of the new laser amplification technique, including the so-called “intensity frontier” and the ability to remove particles from a vacuum. By mimicking stellar events and tackling energy-related problems through laser fusion research, the research has applications in astrophysics. It might also be useful in expanding on our knowledge of the Schwinger limit. With enormous theoretical and practical ramifications, this is a theorized threshold where light can be transformed into matter.
“The results of this research are expected to be applicable in various fields, including advanced theoretical physics and astrophysics,” UNIST professor Min Sip Hur continued. In an effort to help with humanity’s energy problems, it can also be applied to laser fusion research. Our teams from the UK and Korea will test the concepts in the lab through experimentation.
Plasma is a non-degradable substance that can serve a comparable function to conventional diffraction gratings in CPA systems. Thus, it will improve on conventional CPA technology by incorporating a very basic add-on. Professor Hyyong Suk of GIST remarked, “Even with plasma of a few centimeters in size, it can be used for lasers with peak powers exceeding an exawatt.”
Uncover the mystery of the cosmos
The nature of matter and vacuum at intensities more than 1024 W/cm2 is one of modern physics’ unsolved mysteries. According to Strathclyde University, “high-power lasers also make it possible to study astrophysical phenomena in the laboratory, offering rare glimpses into the interior of stars and the [universe’s origin].”
Study synopsis
Our proposal is based on the spatially changing dispersion of an inhomogeneous plasma and involves compressing laser pulses to ultrahigh powers. In this case, compression is obtained by reflection off the density ramp of an overly dense plasma slab by a lengthy, negatively frequency-chirped laser pulse. Similar to the action of a chirped mirror, pulse compression occurs when high-frequency photons at the leading section of the laser pulse penetrate deeper into the plasma region as the density increases longitudinally than lower-frequency photons. Based on particle-in-cell simulation codes, proof-of-principle simulations indicate that a 2.35 ps laser pulse can be compressed to 10.3 fs, or a ratio of 225. Unlike solid-state gratings often employed in chirped-pulse amplification, plasma is resilient and resistant to damage at high intensities, therefore the technique might be used as a compressor to attain exawatt or zettawatt peak outputs.
