In China, scientists say they're developing technology that uses lasers to propel submarines nearly as fast as a jet engine.The idea behind the burgeoning technology is ingenious: lasers generate plasma underwater, which then creates a so-called "detonation wave" to propel a submarine vessel forward.
Until now, attempts at making laser propulsion happen have been for naught, as scientists found it nearly impossible to generate a force that would push submarines in one specific direction. But now, the Harbin researchers say they think they've cracked the code. Submarines using this technique would, as the engineers say in a recent paper in China'sThe researchers claim that this method would be able to produce up to 70,000 newtons of thrust, which is a bit less than a commercial jet engine, using only two megawatts of laser power.
While the concept of laser-propelled submarines sounds a bit "Star Wars"-esque, the weaponization — literally — of such tech is enough to give one pause. "This method can also be applied to underwater weapons, causing a supercavitation phenomenon, thereby significantly increasing the underwater range of projectiles, underwater missiles, or torpedoes," project leader Ge Yang wrote in the paper, as quoted by the