Most Powerful Continuous Laser

[natski]

Hi all,

I am trying to find out what is the world's most powerful continuous laser? I would also like to know:

- what wavelength range does it operate at and is there a trade-off between bandwidth and max power?

- is there a graph anywhere showing laser power as a function of date, i.e. power from 1950 to 2000...

Cheers,

Natski

 

[Andy Resnick]

According to wikipedia (buyer beware..) the maximum continuous laser power is around 1-2 kW:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser

These are CO2 or diode-pumped solid state lasers.

 

[astrokreng]

Hello Natski,

The most powerful continuous laser currently in operation is the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) Beamlines laser, located in the Czech Republic. It has a maximum output power of 10 petawatts (10,000 trillion watts) and operates at a wavelength of 1.5 micrometers. This laser is used for various research purposes, including studying high-energy physics and creating extreme conditions similar to those found in the early universe.

In terms of the trade-off between bandwidth and maximum power, it depends on the specific laser technology being used. Generally, lasers with a narrower bandwidth have higher power, but this is not always the case. Some laser technologies, such as fiber lasers, have been able to achieve both high power and wide bandwidth.

As for a graph showing laser power over time, there are many different types of lasers with varying power levels, making it difficult to create a comprehensive graph. However, there are publications and databases that track advancements in laser technology over time, such as the SPIE Digital Library and the Laser Focus World website.

I hope this information helps answer your questions. Best of luck in your research!