Here is some more background on the laser:

In this time-integrated image, one sees many colorful plasmas that result from the collisions of energetic X-rays and particles with nearby surfaces. Various diagnostic devices located around the edge of the image are illuminated by the plasmas. The green light is caused by the second harmonic of the laser, and is produced by a nonlinear process taking place at the laser-plasma interface. Bits of debris from the target are seen as orange streaks of light, some of which ricochet from the surrounding environment, and some of which produce a colorful dance of twisted braids as they spin in flight.

Some of the most powerful laser applications overlap with nuclear fusion which is a bit different.  Here is more from wikipedia:

Some of the world’s most powerful and complex arrangements of multiple lasers and optical amplifiers are used to produce extremely high intensity pulses of light of extremely short duration. These pulses are arranged such that they impact pellets of tritium–deuterium simultaneously from all directions, hoping that the squeezing effect of the impacts will induce atomic fusion in the pellets. This technique, known as “inertial confinement fusion“, so far has not been able to achieve “breakeven”, that is, so far the fusion reaction generates less power than is used to power the lasers, but research continues.

This is surprising and very intriguing it is hard to believe it can get this hot!

The video below is of a 500 Terawatt laser which is pretty cool too!

thanks to Los Alamos Lab for the image and info Los Alamos Lab