For a brief instant, the United States set a new physics record. The ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan fired a pulse of 2 petawatts.
This lasted just 25 quintillionths of a second but produced more power than 100 times the world’s total electricity output. It is now the most powerful laser ever fired in the country.
Recreating Extreme Cosmic Forces
The pulse blasted helium gas into plasma. Electrons then accelerated to near light speed using a process called wakefield acceleration.
Scientists believe this breakthrough brings us closer to recreating cosmic-scale forces. For example, black hole jets and gamma-ray bursts release energy on a similar scale. As a result, ZEUS may help explain the universe’s most extreme events.
And this is only phase one. The next experiment will collide the accelerated electrons with another laser beam. That collision could mimic a zettawatt-scale event, a power level seen only in deep space.
From Space to Real-World Impact
ZEUS is not just about astrophysics. Its discoveries could transform real-world technology.
Future applications may include next-generation cancer treatments, compact particle accelerators, and advanced imaging tools. Therefore, this laser is more than a physics milestone. It is a pathway to practical breakthroughs.
The ZEUS laser shows what happens when science pushes the limits. It makes once unreachable frontiers more accessible than ever before.
