High-power laser: the next telco solution to fight lightning

A scientific article collected in the magazine Nature Photonics It includes how it has been proven that high-power lasers are capable of deflecting rays, which could help maintain the operations of critical infrastructures such as aviation control towers or telecommunications infrastructures.

For the experiment, conducted by a group of scientists from the Polytechnic School of France During the summer of 2021, it was decided to install a laser Yb:YAG which emitted pulses of picosecond duration and 500 mJ of energy at a wavelength of 1,030 nm and a repetition frequency of 1 kHz28 in the vicinity of a telecommunications tower of 124 m of height located in the top of Säntis mountain, in northeastern Switzerland. This torre, which is struck by lightning 100 times a year, was equipped with multiple sensors to record lightning current, electromagnetic fields at various distances, X-rays and radiation sources from lightning discharges.

After a period of experimentation and testing, the scientific team gathered enough evidence to consider that the filaments formed by short, intense laser pulses are capable of guide lightning discharges over considerable distances.

This method could help find an alternative to the classic ones Franklin tips, metal masts that conduct the electricity of lightning and guide it towards the ground. However, the academic group considers that these preliminary results must be confirmed by “additional campaigns with new configurations.”