Chinese Scientists Build A Laser Weapon That Can Operate Without Cooling In The Sahara Desert

Chinese researchers’ development of a two-kilowatt fiber laser marked a significant advancement in laser technology. The laser operates freely in space even at 50°C (122°F) or -50°C (–58°F), making it functional across Earth’s extremities. 

Similar high-powered HELMA-P European and IDDIS Indian lasers are restricted to truck-mounted cooling systems, which renders them difficult to deploy for either defense or industrial purposes. These systems are self-sustaining, portable, and have the potential to be used widely. Bulky equipment constrains their kill range, which is approximately 0.62 miles.

This research provides solutions for extending laser performance across a 100-degree oscillating temperature range by utilizing balancing beam path techniques. New design ideas like “940-nanometer pump lasers that don’t change much with temperature” can help, along with 9 forward and 18 backward fiber-coupled diode light injection systems. Additionally, placing sensitive components, such as heat-resistive parts, outside the resonator block can help achieve better results by preventing damage to these components. The coiled ytterbium-doped fiber reduces needless lightwaves while retaining primary ones, aiding system cohesion and improving performance overall. This article, published in the journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams, highlights their testing results for new technologies, demonstrating peak outputs reaching a striking 2.47 kW from lasers. This output is remarkable under extreme environmental conditions and surpasses 71% power efficiency with near-perfect beam quality.

Ytterbium, a rare-earth element mostly managed by China, is essential for this breakthrough because it has special quantum properties that allow for efficient energy conversion and prevent overheating. The new technology development opens vast implications, offering compact, cost-effective, high-efficiency, powerful lasers for various industrial uses along with military and countermeasure operations, even in the harshest climates.