[Ultra-Tech] Real laser development - TL9?

[the-red-scare]

I saw this and thought, “Hey, sounds like a non-continuous beam TL9 laser is finally coming.” And the description sounds right in line with Ultra-Tech until the numbers start. 1 terawatt for 1 femtosecond is, unless I’m missing something, 1 millijoule. Or in GURPS terms, less than one point of damage. Any laser experts want to weigh in?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...r-weapon-ever/

“[A]blation of material from the target, the blinding of sensors through broadband supercontinuum generation in the air, and the generation of a localized electronic interference used to overload a threat’s internal electronics.”

[AlexanderHowl]

Lasers need to be 1 kJ to do the equivalent of 1d damage, so that is six orders of magnitude too weak (anyway, military lasers start at MW over milliseconds, not TW over femtoseconds). You receive more energy when a fly lands on you.

[Rupert]

Note that the article actually gives a pulse length of 200 femtoseconds, so the power per pulse is actually 200mJ. The important statistic of pulse rate is completely unaddressed in the article.

[the-red-scare]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Lasers need to be 1 kJ to do the equivalent of 1d damage, so that is six orders of magnitude too weak (anyway, military lasers start at MW over milliseconds, not TW over femtoseconds). You receive more energy when a fly lands on you.

I know, that’s why I’m wondering what I’m missing (or what they’re smoking) that makes this worth developing.

[AlexanderHowl]

It is Popular Mechanics, most of their stuff is questionable, unreliable, or just plain wrong. It is likely a sensor blinding system, as optical sensors are very sensitive to lasers, and a drone or missile without sensors is not much threat. Of course, such systems have questionable legality, as they can also blind people, but it would probably be legal as a dedicated anti-drone or anti-missile system.

[Daigoro]

From the linked tender:

This solicitation looks for a solution to achieve the parameters listed below in one prototype: • Wavelength: Wavelengths that transmit through the atmosphere • Average Power Output: Threshold: 20 W; Objective: 50 W • Pulse Peak Power: Threshold: 1 TW; Objective: 5 TW • Pulse Width: Threshold: 200 fs; Objective: 30 fs • Repetition Rate: Threshold: 20Hz; Objective: 50Hz . Beam Quality (M2): Threshold: 2.0, Objective 1.5

[AlexanderHowl]

50 Hz at 200 femtoseconds ends up being 10 picoseconds total per second. At 5 TW, that ends up being 50 J/s (50 W), maybe enough to deal 1 HP of burning damage. Since that would blind a human eye, it sounds like a drone/missile sensor blinding technology.