SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 14, 2026Interesting Engineering

‘Einstein’s flying mirror’ inspires scientists to build powerful light beams

SMRTR summary

Scientists at Oxford and Queen's University Belfast used a technique called relativistic harmonic generation — where lasers hit plasma acting like a mirror moving near light speed — to create beams potentially reaching 10²³ W/cm², over 1,000 times brighter than previous measurements, potentially enabling quantum vacuum studies.

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