The ZEUS laser, tucked away (as much as a giant laser can be) at the University of Michigan, just cranked out a pulse that makes it the most powerful laser beam in the country.

ZEUS is now the most powerful laser in the US. Credit: Marcin Szczepanski / Michigan Engineering “The fundamental research done at the NSF ZEUS facility has many possible applications, ...

The ZEUS laser facility at the University of Michigan has roughly doubled the peak power of any other laser in the U.S. with its first official experiment at 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts).

Operating ZEUS isn’t as easy as pressing a button on a handheld laser pointer. The power of an initial infrared pulse from a laser is increased using pump lasers that increase its energy.

Yong Ma, Assistant Research Scientist works on the Zeus laser. (Szczepanski/Michigan Engineering via SWNS) By Dean Murray The US has a new, most powerful laser, creating more than 100 times the ...

The ZEUS laser facility at the University of Michigan has roughly doubled the peak power of any other laser in the U.S. with its first official experiment at 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts).

This demonstration of ZEUS’s power paves the way for the signature experiment, expected later this year, when the accelerated electrons will collide with laser pulses coming the opposite way.

The ZEUS laser facility at the University of Michigan has roughly doubled the peak power of any other laser in the U.S. with its first official experiment at 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts).