Destroying entire swarms of drones: scientists have figured out how to increase laser power by 9 times
Scientists have found a way to increase the power of lasers by 9 times without reducing the quality of the beam. This breakthrough will make it possible to create long-range laser weapons capable of melting targets.
A team of researchers from the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide, and Yale University argue that powerful lasers can contribute to new scientific discoveries.
“High-power fiber lasers are vital in manufacturing and defense, and their role is becoming increasingly important with the proliferation of cheap unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on modern battlefields,” said Dr. Linh Nguyen of the University of South Australia.
It is noted that a swarm of cheap drones can quickly deplete a missile resource, leaving important facilities unprotected.
“High-powered fiber lasers with their extremely low cost per shot and high speed of light are the only realistic defense solution in the long term,” the researchers say.
Until now, multi-mode fiber lasers were much more powerful than single-mode versions, but their beams suffered from scattering. This significantly reduced their effectiveness over long distances. The new research has found a solution to limit scattering and create a high-quality, powerful beam that can cause serious damage to a remote target. This research was funded by the US Air Force.
