Actually the value quoted here is the peak intensity of the focussed pulse - not the average power of the laser in total.

Given that it was focussed to approximately 1.3 microns diameter, an estimate of the peak power of the laser beam going in is approximately 265 Terawatts. Given that the pulses are 30 femtoseconds long this gives an approximate energy per pulse of 8 Joules.

Whilst this may seem a small amount to all you no ultrashort-laser experts out there, it is actually extremely large. Consider that a microjoule pulse at 30 fs is easily able to completely ionise air and therefore turn it into a plasma, you may get an idea of what an 8J pulse is capable of.

Any application for generating fusion perhap?

There were a few here but now there are none. Why's that?

The total energy is actually = 6x10^8 J(or 600MJ) [22 - 14 = 8)

It's still a lot...

So when's Val Kilmer going to create some popcorn in my house with this thing?

Mount two of these lasers on sharks, and have them fight.

the alan parsons project is getting out of hand

By using that power/area rating it's difficult to work out the true power of this laser.

Power is a measure of energy/time - one watt is one joule/second so...

20 billion, trillion watts = 2x10^22 watts
30 femtoseconds = 3x10^-14 seconds

so the total energy = 6x10^10 joules

But...

1 cm^2 = 1x10^8um^2

so does it mean that that 2x10^22*1x10^8 watts was focused on 1 um^2 or does it just mean an absolute total of 2x10^22/1x10^8 watts?

A big difference, but either way it's still quite a lot.

Better check my maths.


I think a better application would be focusing it on some unsuspecting physics undergrad and setting fire to him.

DEATH RAY.

Please don't look at the light !