Editing Laser (section)

== Uses ==
{{Main|List of applications for lasers}}
[[File:Laser sizes.jpg|thumb|Lasers range in size from microscopic [[diode laser]]s (''top'') with numerous applications, to football field sized [[neodymium]] glass lasers (bottom) used for [[inertial confinement fusion]], [[nuclear weapon]]s research and other high energy density physics experiments]]

When the laser was first invented, it was called "a solution looking for a problem",<ref>{{cite book |title=A Century of Nature: Twenty-One Discoveries that Changed Science and the World |author=Charles H. Townes |author-link=Charles Hard Townes |chapter=The first laser |chapter-url=http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/284158_townes.html |editor1=Laura Garwin |editor1-link= Laura Garwin |editor2=Tim Lincoln |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2003 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/centuryofnaturet00garw/page/107 107–12] |isbn=978-0-226-28413-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/centuryofnaturet00garw/page/107}}</ref> although Gould noted numerous possible applications in his notebook and patent applications.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laser inventor, Optics pioneer |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=2024-09-12 |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gordon-Gould#ref1111230 |access-date=2024-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hecht |first=Jeff |title=OSA Centennial Snapshots: The Fiber Optic Mania |website=Optics & Photonics News |date=2016-10-01 |url=https://www.optica-opn.org/home/articles/volume_27/october_2016/features/osa_centennial_snapshots_the_fiber_optic_mania/ |access-date=2024-11-01}}</ref> Since then, they have become ubiquitous, finding utility in thousands of highly varied applications in every section of modern society, including [[consumer electronics]], information technology, science, medicine, industry, [[law enforcement]], entertainment, and the [[Laser applications#Military|military]]. [[Fiber-optic communication]] relies on multiplexed lasers in dense [[wave-division multiplexing]] (WDM) systems to transmit large amounts of data over long distances.<ref>{{cite conference |last=Uhlhorn |first=Brian L. |title=2010 Avionics, Fiber-Optics and Photonics Technology Conference |chapter=Channel separation using WDM technology in military applications |publisher=IEEE |year=2010 |page= |doi=10.1109/avfop.2010.5637716 |pages=39–40 |isbn=978-1-4244-5312-2 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261075962}}</ref><ref>[https://www.science.gov/topicpages/w/wdm+optical+communication WDM optical communication]. ''science.gov''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jan/27/2003151018/-1/-1/0/SDL_STORY.PDF|title=Lights, data, action!|website=defense.gov|date=2023-01-27|access-date=2024-11-01}}</ref>

The first widely noticeable use of lasers was the supermarket [[barcode scanner]], introduced in 1974.{{cn|date=January 2025}} The [[laserdisc]] player, introduced in 1978, was the first successful consumer product to include a laser, but the compact disc player was the first laser-equipped device to become common, commercialized in 1982, followed shortly by [[laser printer]]s.

Some other uses are:
* Communications: besides [[fiber-optic communication]], lasers are used for [[free-space optical communication]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prisco |first=Jacopo |date=2024-10-09 |title=Lasers could take broadband where fiber optics can't |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/09/tech/lasers-fso-internet-attochron-spc/index.html |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> including [[laser communication in space]]<ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Seas |first1=Antonios |last2=Robinson |first2=Bryan |last3=Shih |first3=Tina |last4=Khatri |first4=Farzana |last5=Brumfield |first5=Mark |date=2019-07-12 |editor-last=Karafolas |editor-first=Nikos |editor2-last=Sodnik |editor2-first=Zoran |editor3-last=Cugny |editor3-first=Bruno |title=Optical communications systems for NASA's human space flight missions |url=https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11180/2535936/Optical-communications-systems-for-NASAs-human-space-flight-missions/10.1117/12.2535936.full |publisher=SPIE |pages=16 |doi=10.1117/12.2535936 |isbn=978-1-5106-3077-2 |volume=11180 |conference=International Conference on Space Optics - ICSO 2018 |location=Chania, Greece|hdl=2060/20180007086 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
* Medicine: see [[#In medicine|below]]
* Industry: [[Laser cutting|cutting]] including [[Laser converting|converting]] thin materials, [[laser welding|welding]], material [[heat treatment]], [[laser marking|marking parts]] ([[Laser engraving|engraving]] and [[Laser bonding|bonding]]), [[additive manufacturing]] or [[3D printing]] processes such as [[selective laser sintering]] and [[selective laser melting]], [[laser metal deposition]], and non-contact measurement of parts and [[3D scanning]], and [[laser cleaning]].
* Military: marking targets, guiding [[munition]]s, [[Airborne Laser|missile defense]], [[DIRCM|electro-optical countermeasures (EOCM)]], [[lidar]], blinding troops, [[Laser sight (firearms)|firearms sights]]. See [[#As weapons|below]]
* [[Law enforcement agency|Law enforcement]]: [[LIDAR traffic enforcement]]. Lasers are used for latent [[fingerprint]] detection in the [[forensic identification]] field<ref>Dalrymple B.E., Duff J.M., Menzel E.R. "Inherent fingerprint luminescence – detection by laser". ''Journal of Forensic Sciences'', 22(1), 1977, 106–115</ref><ref>Dalrymple B.E. "Visible and infrared luminescence in documents : excitation by laser". ''Journal of Forensic Sciences'', 28(3), 1983, 692–696</ref>
* Research: [[spectroscopy]], [[laser ablation]], laser [[annealing (metallurgy)|annealing]], laser [[scattering]], laser [[interferometry]], [[lidar]], [[laser capture microdissection]], [[fluorescence microscopy]], [[metrology]], [[laser cooling]]
* Commercial products: [[laser printer]]s, [[barcode scanner]]s, [[thermometer]]s, [[laser pointer]]s, [[holograms]], [[bubblegram]]s
* Entertainment: [[optical discs]], [[laser lighting display]]s, [[laser turntable]]s.
* Informational markings: Laser lighting display technology can be used to project informational markings onto surfaces such as playing fields, roads, runways, or warehouse floors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laser Technology Enhances Experience for Sports Fans, Refs |url=https://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?PID=5&VID=116&IID=774&Tag=Features&AID=56631 |website=Photonics.com |date=September 10, 2014 |access-date=August 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Front Lines |first=Susan |last=Woods |work=Shop Floor Lasers |url=https://fsmdirect.com/front-lines/ |date= April 13, 2015 |access-date=August 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Football Tech That's More Than a Laser and Light Show |first=Kevin |last=Randall |work=[[The New York Times]] |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/sports/football/usfl-technology-ball-spotting.html?smid |date= April 20, 2022 |access-date=August 30, 2023}}</ref>

In 2004, excluding diode lasers, approximately 131,000 lasers were sold ,with a value of {{US$|2.19|link=yess}}&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kincade |first1=Kathy |first2=Stephen |last2=Anderson |date=January 1, 2005 |title=Laser Marketplace 2005: Consumer applications boost laser sales 10% |magazine=Laser Focus World |volume=41 |issue=1 |url=http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-41/issue-1/features/laser-marketplace-2005/consumer-applications-boost-laser-sales-10.html |access-date=April 6, 2015 |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413001047/http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-41/issue-1/features/laser-marketplace-2005/consumer-applications-boost-laser-sales-10.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year, approximately 733&nbsp;million diode lasers, valued at {{US$|3.20}}&nbsp;billion, were sold.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Steele |first1=Robert V. |date=February 1, 2005 |title=Diode-laser market grows at a slower rate |magazine=Laser Focus World |volume=41 |issue=2 |url=http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-41/issue-2/features/diode-laser-market-grows-at-a-slower-rate.html |access-date=April 6, 2015 |archive-date=April 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412234959/http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-41/issue-2/features/diode-laser-market-grows-at-a-slower-rate.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Global Industrial laser sales in 2023 reached $21.85 billion.

=== In medicine ===
{{Main|Laser medicine|Lasers in cancer treatment}}

Lasers have many uses in medicine, including [[laser surgery]] (particularly [[Laser eye surgery|eye surgery]]), laser healing (photobiomodulation therapy), [[kidney stone]] treatment, [[Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy|ophthalmoscopy]], and cosmetic skin treatments such as [[acne]] treatment, [[cellulite]] and [[striae]] reduction, and [[Laser hair removal|hair removal]].

Lasers are used to treat [[cancer]] by shrinking or destroying [[Neoplasm|tumors]] or precancerous growths. They are most commonly used to treat superficial cancers that are on the surface of the body or the lining of internal organs. They are used to treat basal cell skin cancer and the very early stages of others like [[cervical cancer|cervical]], [[penile cancer|penile]], [[vaginal cancer|vaginal]], [[vulvar cancer|vulvar]], and [[non-small cell lung cancer]]. Laser therapy is often combined with other treatments, such as [[surgery]], [[chemotherapy]], or [[radiation therapy]]. [[Laser ablation|Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy]] (LITT), or interstitial laser [[Laser coagulation|photocoagulation]], uses lasers to treat some cancers using hyperthermia, which uses heat to shrink tumors by damaging or killing cancer cells. Lasers are more precise than traditional surgery methods and cause less damage, pain, [[bleeding]], swelling, and scarring. A disadvantage is that surgeons must acquire specialized training, and thus it will likely be more expensive than other treatments.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000905.htm|title=Laser therapy for cancer: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia|website=medlineplus.gov|language=en |access-date= December 15, 2017 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224172003/https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000905.htm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NIHlaser">{{citation-attribution |1={{cite web |url=https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery/lasers-fact-sheet |title=Lasers in Cancer Treatment |date= September 13, 2011 |publisher=National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute |access-date= December 15, 2017|archive-date=April 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405184554/https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery/lasers-fact-sheet |url-status=live}}}}</ref>

[[Low-level laser therapy]] (LLLT) is a treatment in which low-power light from lasers or [[light-emitting diode]]s (LEDs) is applied to the surface of the body.<ref name="Hamblin p.">{{cite journal | last=Hamblin | first=Michael R. | title=Photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy | journal=Journal of Biophotonics | year=2016 | volume=9 | issue=11–12 | pages=1122–1124 | pmid=27973730 | doi=10.1002/jbio.201670113 | pmc=5215795 }}</ref><ref name="Hamblin2016">{{cite journal|last1=Hamblin|first1=MR|date=1 October 2016|title=Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders.|journal=BBA Clinical|volume=6|pages=113–124|doi=10.1016/j.bbacli.2016.09.002|pmc=5066074|pmid=27752476}}</ref><ref name= 'SPIE'>{{Citation|last1=Hamblin|first1=Michael R.|title=Introduction|date=2018-01-12|url=https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/ebooks/TT/Low-Level-Light-Therapy-Photobiomodulation/1/Introduction/10.1117/3.2295638.ch1?SSO=1|work=Low-Level Light Therapy: Photobiomodulation|publisher=SPIE|doi=10.1117/3.2295638.ch1|isbn=978-1-5106-1416-1|access-date=2021-02-11|last2=Carroll|first2=James D.|last3=de Freitas|first3=Lucas Freitas|last4=Huang|first4=Ying-Ying|last5=Ferraresi|first5=Cleber}}</ref><ref name= 'aslms'>{{Cite web|title=Photobiomodulation|url=https://www.aslms.org/for-the-public/treatments-using-lasers-and-energy-based-devices/photobiomodulation|access-date=2019-09-02|website=www.aslms.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hamblin |first1=Michael R. |last2=Gupta|first2=Asheesh |chapter=History and Fundamentals of Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy |date=2013 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/b15582-10/history-fundamentals-low-level-laser-light-therapy-asheesh-gupta-michael-hamblin |title=Handbook of Photomedicine |access-date=2023-09-04 |publisher=CRC Press |doi=10.1201/b15582-10 |isbn=978-0-429-19384-2|editor-first1=Michael R. |editor-last1=Hamblin|editor-first2= Yingying |editor-last2=Huang}}</ref> This is claimed to stimulate healing, relieve pain, and enhance cell function. The effects  appear to be limited to specific wavelengths of light. The effectiveness of this form of treatment is still under investigation. Repeated low-level red light therapy may be effective for controlling [[myopia]] in children.<ref>Jiang M.D., Yu, et al., ''[https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(21)00916-7/fulltext Effect of Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy for Myopia Control in Children]'', ''Ophthalmology'', American Academy of Ophthalmology, Volume 129, Issue 5P509–519, May 2022. </ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jiang |first1=Yu |last2=Zhuoting |first2=Zhu |last3=Xingping |first3=Tan |last4=Xiangbin |first4=Kong |last5=Zhong |first5=Hui |last6=Zhang |first6=Jian |last7=Xiong |first7=Ruilin |last8=Yuan |first8=Yixiong |last9=Zeng |first9=Junwen |date=2021-12-01 |title=Effect of Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy for Myopia Control in Children |url=https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(21)00916-7/fulltext |journal=Ophthalmology|volume=129 |issue=5 |pages=509–519 |doi=10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.11.023 |pmid=34863776 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Several such devices are cleared by the [[United States Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA), and low level red light therapy is being tested for treating a range of medical problems including [[rheumatoid arthritis]]<ref name="Brosseau">{{Cite journal|last1=Brosseau|first1=L.|last2=Welch|first2=V.|last3=Wells|first3=G. A.|last4=de Bie|first4=R.|last5=Gam|first5=A.|last6=Harman|first6=K.|last7=Morin|first7=M.|last8=Shea|first8=B.|last9=Tugwell|first9=P.|year=2005|title=Low level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2010|issue=4|pages=CD002049|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD002049.pub2|pmid=16235295|s2cid=40986179|pmc=8406947}}</ref> and [[oral mucositis]].<ref name="oberoi2014">{{cite journal|last1=Oberoi|first1=S|last2=Zamperlini-Netto|first2=G|last3=Beyene|first3=J|last4=Treister|first4=NS|last5=Sung|first5=L|date=2014|title=Effect of prophylactic low level laser therapy on oral mucositis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=9|issue=9|pages=e107418|bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j7418O|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0107418|pmc=4157876|pmid=25198431|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== As weapons ===
[[File:THEL-ACTD.jpg|thumb|The US–Israeli [[Tactical High Energy Laser|Tactical High Energy weapon]] has been used to shoot down rockets and artillery shells]]
{{Main|Laser weapon}}

A [[laser weapon]] is a type of [[directed-energy weapon]] that uses [[lasers]] to inflict damage.<ref name="urlDirected Energy">{{cite web |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dew.htm |title=Directed Energy |access-date=}}</ref> Whether they will be deployed as practical, high-performance military weapons remains to be seen.<ref name="nova-bas">{{Cite web | url=https://thebulletin.org/navys-new-laser-weapon-hype-or-reality8326 | title=Navy's new laser weapon: Hype or reality?| first1=Subrata|last1=Ghoshroy|date=2015-05-18|access-date=2020-01-17|work=[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]}}</ref><ref name="nova-ieee">{{Cite web | url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/no-quick-laser-missile-defense |title =Laser Weapons Not Yet Ready for Missile Defense|work=[[IEEE Spectrum]]|publisher=[[IEEE]]|first1=Jeff|last1=Hecht|date=2017-09-27|access-date=2020-01-17}}</ref> One of the major issues with laser weapons is atmospheric [[thermal blooming]], which is still largely unsolved. This issue is exacerbated when there is fog, smoke, dust, rain, snow, smog, foam, or purposely dispersed obscurant chemicals present. The [[United States Navy]] has tested the very short range (1 mile), 30-[[kilowatt|kW]] [[Laser Weapon System]] or LaWS to be used against targets like small [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]]s, [[rocket-propelled grenade]]s, and visible [[motorboat]] or [[helicopter]] engines.<ref name="Luis Martinez">{{cite news |title=Navy's New Laser Weapon Blasts Bad Guys From Air, Sea|author=Luis Martinez|url=https://news.yahoo.com/navys-laser-weapon-blasts-bad-215808231.html|newspaper=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|date=9 Apr 2013|access-date=9 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a28636854/powerful-laser-weapon/ |title = The U.S. Army Plans to Field the Most Powerful Laser Weapon Yet|date = 2019-08-07}}</ref> It has been described as "six [[Laser beam welding|welding lasers]] strapped together." A 60&nbsp;kW system, [[HELIOS]], is being developed for destroyer-class ships {{As of|2020|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/05/23/when-it-comes-to-missile-killing-lasers-the-us-navy-is-ready-to-burn-its-ships/ |title = When it comes to missile-killing lasers, the US Navy is ready to burn its ships|date = 2019-05-28}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.popsci.com/here-come-laser-helicopters/ | title=Here come the helicopters with weaponized lasers|access-date=2020-01-17|first1=Kelsey D. |last1=Atherton |date=2017-06-27 |work=[[Popular Science]]}}</ref>
[[File:YAL-1A Airborne Laser unstowed crop.jpg|thumb|The [[Boeing YAL-1|YAL-1]], a modified [[Boeing 747]] with a laser weapon on board. It was canceled in December 2011 and scrapped in September 2014.]]
Lasers can be used as incapacitating [[non-lethal weapons]].{{cn|date=December 2024}} They can cause temporary or permanent vision loss when directed at the eyes. Even lasers with a power output of less than one watt can cause immediate and permanent vision loss under certain conditions, making them potentially non-lethal but incapacitating weapons. The use of such lasers is morally controversial due to the extreme handicap that laser-induced blindness represents. The [[Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons]] bans the use of weapons designed to cause permanent blindness. Weapons designed to cause temporary blindness, known as [[Dazzler (weapon)|dazzlers]], are used by military and sometimes law enforcement organizations.

=== Hobbies ===

In recent years, some hobbyists have taken an interest in lasers. Lasers used by hobbyists are generally of class IIIa or IIIb {{xref|(see {{slink||Safety}})}}, although some have made their own class IV types.<ref>[http://www.powerlabs.org/laser.htm PowerLabs CO<sub>2</sub> LASER!] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050814004546/http://www.powerlabs.org/laser.htm |date=August 14, 2005 }} Sam Barros June 21, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2007.</ref> However, due to the cost and potential dangers, this is an uncommon hobby. Some hobbyists salvage laser diodes from broken DVD players (red), [[Blu-ray]] players (violet), or even higher power laser diodes from CD or [[DVD burner]]s.<ref>{{cite web |first=Stephanie |last=Maks |url=http://planetstephanie.net/dvd-laser/ |title=Howto: Make a DVD burner into a high-powered laser |work=Transmissions from Planet Stephanie |access-date=April 6, 2015 |archive-date=February 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217050834/http://planetstephanie.net/dvd-laser/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Hobbyists have also used surplus lasers taken from retired military applications and modified them for [[holography]]. Pulsed ruby and YAG lasers work well for this application.

=== Examples by power ===
[[File:Lying down on the VLT platform.jpg|thumb|Laser application in astronomical [[adaptive optics]] imaging]]

Different applications need lasers with different output powers. Lasers that produce a continuous beam or a series of short pulses can be compared on the basis of their average power. Lasers that produce pulses can also be characterized based on the ''peak'' power of each pulse. The peak power of a pulsed laser is many [[orders of magnitude]] greater than its average power. The average output power is always less than the power consumed.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+ The continuous or average power required for some uses:
|-
! Power !! Use
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|1–5 mW}} || [[Laser pointer]]s
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|5 mW}} || [[CD-ROM]] drive
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|5–10 mW}} || [[DVD player]] or [[DVD-ROM drive]]
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|100 mW}} || High-speed [[CD-RW]] burner
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|250 mW}} || Consumer 16× [[DVD-R]] burner
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|400 mW}} || DVD 24× dual-layer recording<ref>{{cite web |url=http://elabz.com/laser-diode-power-output-based-on-dvd-rrw-specs/ |title=Laser Diode Power Output Based on DVD-R/RW specs |date=April 10, 2011 |publisher=elabz.com |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-date=November 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122224656/http://elabz.com/laser-diode-power-output-based-on-dvd-rrw-specs/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|1 W}} || Green laser in [[Holographic Versatile Disc]] prototype development
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|1–20 W}} || Output of the majority of commercially available solid-state lasers used for [[Micromachinery|micro machining]]
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|30–100 W}} || Typical sealed CO<sub>2</sub> surgical lasers<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aesculight.com/case-studies/what-do-independent-laser-surgery-experts-advise-on-how-to-select-a-surgical-veterinary-laser/ |title=How to select a surgical veterinary laser |last=Peavy |first=George M. |work=Aesculight |access-date=March 30, 2016 |date=January 23, 2014 |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419134604/https://aesculight.com/case-studies/what-do-independent-laser-surgery-experts-advise-on-how-to-select-a-surgical-veterinary-laser/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|align=right| {{nowrap|100–3000 W}} || Typical sealed CO<sub>2</sub> lasers used in industrial [[laser cutting]]
|}

Examples of pulsed systems with high peak power:
* 700 [[terawatt|TW]] (700×10<sup>12</sup> W){{mdash}}[[National Ignition Facility]], a 192-beam, 1.8-megajoule laser system adjoining a 10-meter-diameter target chamber<ref>Heller, Arnie, "[http://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug05/VanArsdall.html Orchestrating the world's most powerful laser] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121173542/https://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug05/VanArsdall.html |date=November 21, 2008}}." ''Science and Technology Review''. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, July/August 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2006.</ref>
* 10 [[petawatt|PW]] (10×10<sup>15</sup> W){{mdash}}world's most powerful laser as of 2019, located at the [[Extreme Light Infrastructure|ELI-NP]] facility in [[Măgurele]], Romania.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dragan |first1=Aurel |title=Magurele Laser officially becomes the most powerful laser in the world |url=https://business-review.eu/tech/magurele-laser-part-of-eli-project-reached-maximum-power-of-10-petawats-197989 |website=Business Review |access-date=23 March 2021 |date=13 March 2019 |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414114412/https://business-review.eu/tech/magurele-laser-part-of-eli-project-reached-maximum-power-of-10-petawats-197989 |url-status=live}}</ref>