The US test-fired its most powerful laser ever

Image: ZEUS is expected to produce even higher levels of power later this year. Image credit: Marcin Szczepanski / Michigan Engineering. Article by Andrew Paul. Popular Science – May 19, 2025.

A laser named after the most powerful god in ancient Greece is living up to its name. According to the University of Michigan, the first official experiment from the Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser System (ZEUS) yielded 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts) of power. For reference, that’s more than 100 times the electricity output across the entire planet—but you’ll likely miss it if you blink. […]

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Video: ZEUS Laser Animated Flythrough – UM ZEUS Laser Facility