Laser beams powered by the sun are one small step closer to becoming a reality after researchers received funding to develop the pioneering technology. These lasers could eventually help power lunar bases and missions to Mars, and contribute to sustainable energy solutions on Earth, scientists say.
In June, the international team of researchers announced it had received a roughly €4 million ($1.2 million) grant from the European Innovation Council and Innovate UK to develop solar-powered laser technology inspired by photosynthetic bacteria.
“In my group, we spend a lot of time thinking about artificial light harvesting and what we can learn from nature,” Erik Gauger, a quantum theorist at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland who is involved in the collaboration, told Live Science in an interview. “If it’s possible in nature, we should be able to utilize similar effects in artificial systems.”
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