The US has unveiled a new most-powerful laser, roughly doubling the peak power of any other laser in the country. The ZEUS laser facility at the University of Michigan achieved its first official experiment at 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts), exceeding the global electricity power output by over 100 times. This immense power lasts for just 25 quintillionths of a second, during which time research teams from around the world can conduct experiments in medicine, national security, materials science, and astrophysics.
The ZEUS facility, a user-friendly platform, allows researchers to submit experiment proposals that undergo an independent selection process. The laser’s capabilities will enable scientists to produce electron beams with energies equivalent to those made in particle accelerators hundreds of meters long. This breakthrough could lead to significant advancements in cancer treatment and soft tissue imaging.
The road to 2 petawatts was slow and challenging, with a sapphire crystal infused with titanium atoms being the critical component. The team overcame initial concerns about damaging the gratings, which would distort the laser pulses and damage further down the optics path. With upgrades underway, the ZEUS facility is poised to reach its full 3 petawatt potential.
Since its grand opening in October 2023, the ZEUS team has already conducted 11 separate experiments with over 58 experimenters from 22 institutions, including international researchers. As scientists push the boundaries of human knowledge, this cutting-edge technology holds immense promise for American innovation and economic growth.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-powerful-laser.html