The University of Michigan’s ZEUS laser has achieved a record-breaking peak power output of 2 petawatts, surpassing that of the entire planet’s power output. The laser, which stands for Zettawatt Equivalent Ultrashort laser pulse System, is housed in the Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science and can be used by scientists from around the world.
The powerful laser beam was only active for 25 quintillionths of a second, giving researchers just enough time to conduct revolutionary science. ZEUS’ peak power rivals that of Zeus, the king of Greek mythology, making it one of the most powerful man-made devices on Earth.
Researchers have been conducting experiments at the facility since last year and have achieved impressive results. The first 2-petawatt user experiment will be run by a physicist from UC Irvine, aiming to produce electron beams with energies comparable to those from long particle accelerators.
The laser’s capabilities include plasma and quantum physics research, medical imaging, particle acceleration, and materials science. Its new feature, a titanium-infused sapphire crystal, will increase the laser’s power to three petawatts later this year. This upgrade will allow for even more powerful energy pulses and better interrogation of fundamental physics.
The ZEUS facility can be compared to the Linac Coherent Light Source II at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, which also supports global scientific research. With its capabilities and upgrades, ZEUS is set to make significant contributions to various fields of science.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/zeus-is-officially-americas-most-powerful-laser-with-2-petawatt-blast-2000604778