For now, the scientists are happy to report they are able to make it work, and at just about the level of efficiency they predicted. That is not as simple as it sounds. Continuous to these fellows is almost as long as a second. He expects scientists, both from UCF and from other research centers around the United States, will be lining up to use the facility by this coming spring. This laser is different because it is tunable.
Most lasers work at a fixed frequency.
This tunability, and the fact that it can lase infrared waves, makes it very useful for biological experiments. That, plus its high efficiency and high level of continuous power will make it unique in the world. It is efficient enough to hit a satellite in orbit with a lot of power. Since it is tunable you could make it send out just the wavelengths that are most easily converted into electricity by solar power cells. That frequency is in the infrared.