The United Kingdom has announced that it has begun planning to build what is believed to be the world’s most powerful laser. The device is known as the Vulcan 20-20 and will be used to help scientists understand and work on nuclear fusion, comprehend plasma, develop renewable energy sources, and further study electromagnetic fields.
As for the reason why the laser is referred to as the most powerful on the planet, it is claimed that it will be “a million, billion, billion times brighter than the brightest sunlight,” needless to say, it will also be a rather dangerous piece of technology.
The laser will be constructed in Oxfordshire and is funded by a new grant securing £85 million for the project. It will also be built by the same team that constructed the Vulcan laser, currently the most powerful laser available, with the Vulcan 20-20 reportedly providing a twentyfold increase in power due to the addition of eight extra laser beams. It is also noted that a single pulse from this laser, lasting only one trillionth of a second, will be more powerful than the entire National Grid electricity of the UK.
In terms of when the laser will be constructed, it will take six years to build.
