– Researchers are working on developing gamma ray laser technology, which would use the most energetic type of light known, gamma rays.
– Producing a coherent beam of gamma rays, similar to how ordinary lasers produce coherent visible light, could have applications like driving rocket propulsion for interstellar travel.
– Previous proposals have suggested using gamma ray lasers to efficiently convert matter into thrust by complete annihilation via gamma ray photons.
– Developing gamma ray lasers is extremely challenging as it requires manipulating atomic nuclei into excited quantum states called isomers that emit gamma rays in a stable, coherent way.
– Current research is investigating using strong laser fields to collide electrons and produce coherent high-energy gamma ray emissions, as well as trapping positronium atoms to generate gamma rays from electron-positron annihilation.
– Mastering coherent gamma ray beam production could enable new advanced light sources for various applications and help progress towards developing new forms of spacecraft propulsion for true interstellar travel.
Source: Popular Mechanics
