#Lasers now measured in #petawatts (one quadrillion watts) are now commonly used for high-energy research. Some researchers are planning #exawatt power systems. As lasers become ever more powerful, the demands placed on optical components grow in complexity and scale. The higher the power, the greater the laser damage threshold (#LDT) needed. To some extent new challenges can be mitigated by using large #optics. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/what-changes-when-manufacturing-and-using-large-vs-small-optics/

The US has a new most powerful laser hitting 2 petawatts

https://news.engin.umich.edu/2025/05/the-us-has-a-new-most-powerful-laser/

#HackerNews #powerfullaser #petawatts #technology #innovation #USnews #laserresearch