Who knew that diamonds would help make some lasers way more powerful?

Researchers from the MQ Photonics Research Centre joined with fiber laser experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering in Jena, Germany to demonstrate a diamond laser 20 times more powerful than previous diamond lasers.

Average power levels were less than 20 Watts, with the new laser now providing up to 380 Watts of output power – the equivalent of approximately 400,000 laser pointers and enough power to easily cut through steel.

High-power diamond lasers are well-suited to applications that require beaming power over long distances, such as optical communications in space, laser ranging, and the tracking and removal of space debris.

Diamond is a relatively new material for creating laser beams, but it is rapidly becoming a technology leader in terms of generating powerful, high-brightness beams at wavelengths, or ‘colours’, where traditional lasers are not able to shine.

Let’s find out more about how this works and check out a cool video on page 2

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