Innovations & technologies

China's New Crystals Could Finally Make Laser Weapons a Thing

Laser could become more efficient in the future, thanks to a discovery from Chinese scientists. Through crystals of caesium bismuth germanate (CBGO), an inorganic chemical compound, the scientists believe that they could convert low-energy beams into high-energy emissions with "unparalleled efficiency," according to Professor Mao Jianggao, team leader at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, in a statement given to the South China Morning Post.

Compared to modern crystals, the CBGO was 13 times more efficient at converting infrared lasers into highly energized green beams.

“This is a record performance,” Mao said in his statement. “This is why we think the crystal may have potential.”

But that's all it is at this point: potential. Despite their promising showing in tests, CBGO crystals have a drawback in the tremendous amount of electricity required to make them run properly.