chemical laser

noun

: a laser that uses a chemical reaction (such as combustion) as an energy source

The weapon is the chemical laser, which gets its energy from the combustion of fuels similar to those in rocket engines. Though much of its energy is lost as heat, significant amounts can be extracted by mirrors and resonant chambers, emerging as a concentrated beam of light that in theory can flash across space to zap speeding missiles thousands of miles away.

—William J. Broad

Examples of chemical laser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The plane locked in its tracking lasers, and then unleashed a chemical laser that burned a hole in the side of the missile to blow it up. —Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2010

Rather than a chemical laser, PASS used a solid-state, electrically powered laser. —David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 23 May 2022

The technology has now shifted from the chemical laser, which required corrosive and toxic chemicals to induce a beam and machinery almost the size of an on-site laboratory, to the solid-state laser, which needs only copious amounts of electricity. —New York Times, 3 June 2022

This was previously explored in the Pulsed Energy Projectile, a US Army project involving a chemical laser in the early 2000s which vaporised outer clothing to produce a stunning but non-harmful flash-bang effect. —David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021

Jack's area of expertise was inventing and developing chemical lasers. —courant.com, 8 Sep. 2019

In the 2000s, the Pentagon dumped billions into a 747 modified to fire a chemical laser. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2019

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Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above