In the defense against ICBMs, high-energy lasers are also used on aircraft. How does such a high-energy laser work?

I’ve googled a lot but I can’t find a good answer about how such a high-energy laser works. The scientific articles I find about it are often very extensive, too complicated and in English.

Asker: Simon, 17 years old

Answer

With a laser you first have to bring a large number of atoms to a higher energy state. This ‘pumping’ is often done with flashbulbs and consumes a great deal of electrical energy. In a remote place (such as on an airplane) this is not available and therefore the pumping will be done through a chemical reaction.

There is generally little concern about the toxicity of these chemical products.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_laser

In the defense against ICBMs, high-energy lasers are also used on aircraft.  How does such a high-energy laser work?

Answered by

Prof Walter Lauriks

Physics Acoustics

Catholic University of Leuven
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/

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