Electrolaser

An electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive "Laser-Induced Plasma Channel" (LIPC). A fraction of a second later, a powerful electric current is sent down this plasma channel and delivered to the target, thus functioning overall as a large-scale, high energy, long-distance version of the Taser electroshock gun.

Alternating current is sent through a series of step-up transformers, increasing the voltage and decreasing the current. The final voltage may be between 10⁸ and 10⁹ volts.Fact|date=August 2008 This current is fed into the plasma channel created by the laser beam.

Laser-Induced Plasma Channel

A "Laser-Induced Plasma Channel" (LIPC) is formed by the following process:
* A laser (possibly a laser diode) emits a laser beam into the air.
* The laser beam causes blooming, which is the temporary change of state of component(s) of the atmosphere (like oxygen) to ionize into a plasma.
* The plasma forms an electrically conductive plasma channel.

Because a Laser-Induced Plasma Channel relies on the atmospheric blooming effect, there must be air or some other gas between the electrolaser weapon and the target: it will not work in space vacuum; but in space this lack of blooming lets the laser beam travel uninhibited and act as a weapon if powerful enough.

Uses

Methods of use:
*To kill or incapacitate a human target through electric shock.
*To seriously damage, disable, or destroy any electric or electronic devices in the target.
*As electrolasers and natural lightning both use plasma channels to conduct electric current, an electrolaser can set up a light-induced plasma channel for uses such as:
** To study lightning
** During a thunderstorm, to make lightning discharge at a safe time and place, as with a lightning conductor.
** As a weapon, to make a thunderhead deliver a precise and plausibly deniable lightning strike onto a target from an aircraft; in this case, the aircraft and laser can be compared to a transistor, in that the relatively minor amount of initial input from the laser (base) allows a large amount of energy to flow between the cloud (collector) and the ground (emitter).Fact|date=February 2008

Because of the plasma channel, an electrolaser may cause an accident if there is a thunderstorm (or other electricity sources such as overhead powerlines) about.

The only defenses against electron particle beam weapons are magnetic fields, electrical insulators, capacitors, electrostatic fields, and Faraday cages.

See Electroshock gun for more information (principles of operation, controversies, etc).

An elecrolaser cannot be used in Wireless energy transfer due to danger and low efficiency.

Examples of electrolasers

Ionatron

Publicly traded company Ionatron develops directed-energy weapons for the United States Military. The company has produced a device called the Joint IED Neutralizer (JIN) which may presently be undergoing field testing in Iraq [cite web|last=Schachtman | first=Noah | date=2006-05-21 | accessdate=2007-11-10 | url=http://www.noahshachtman.com/archives/002170.html | title=Real-Life Ray Gun: Say When?] . The JIN is intended for safely detonating IEDs or improvised explosive devices. Future designs include weapons mounted on land and air and sea vehicles and as a hand-held infantry version.

Ionatron said that the weapons will be able to be used as a non-lethal alternative to current weaponry, but will be able to deliver a high enough voltage jolt to kill.

Phoenix

There was an unconfirmed report that in 1985 the U.S. Navy tested an electrolaser.Fact|date=December 2007 Its targets were missiles and aircraft. This device was known as the Phoenix project within the Strategic Defense Initiative research program. It was first proved by experiment at long range in 1985. But this report may have referred to an early test of MIRACL, which is or was a high-powered chemical laser.Fact|date=December 2007

HSV Technologies

HSV Technologies of San Diego, California http://www.hsvt.org are designing a non-lethal device which was profiled in the 2002 TIME magazine article “Beyond the Rubber Bullet”. It is an electrolaser using ultraviolet laser beams, and promises to immobilize living targets at a distance without contact. There is plan for an engine-disabling variation for use against the electronic ignitions of cars.

In fiction

Electrolasers, or unnamed effects that could be explained as electrolasers, often occur in science fiction and videogames, such as:
*The Volt Auto Rifle in ""
*The Lightning Gun in "Unreal Tournament 2004"
*The Lightning Gun in "Quake"
*The Covenant Scarab in the "Halo" series has a green beam weapon that behaves similarly to an electrolaser.
*Eden's "Thor's Hammer" weapon in "Outpost 2"
*The Wavebuster in "Metroid Prime"
*The Arc Welder (an alien work tool used as a weapon [http://startrek.wikia.com/wiki/Arc_welder] ) in ""
*The Arc Charger in ""
*The Electron Mace in "Syndicate Wars"
*The Steve Jackson Games role-playing game system GURPS has sourcebooks ("Space" and "Ultra-Tech") that have listed Electrolasers as hand weapons since at least 1988. They even work the same way.
*In the "Cobra" novels by Timothy Zahn, electrolasers are used as hand weapons.
*In "The Mightiest Machine" (1935) series by John W. Campbell, Jr., the Transpon Beam is similar in concept to the electrolaser.
*The "PIG" plasma cannon from the "Alien" series uses a device quite similar to the electrolaser to create the necessary magnetic containment bottle.
*The Arc Caster in the "Star Wars Battlefront" series of games
*The zat gun in "Stargate SG-1"
*The pulse rifle & pistol in "Fallout 2"
*The electrotool in "TimeSplitters 2"

References

Laser-triggered lightning:
* http://panda.unm.edu/AcadAdv/lightning.html
* http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/1367-2630/4/1/361/nj2161.html
* http://jot.osa.org/abstract.cfm?id=67851
* http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=APPLAB000085000023005781000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes
* http://www1a.comm.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/~lrg/abstract4.html
* http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1978affd.rept.....L&db_key=PHY&data_type=HTML&format=Other forms:
*http://www.defense-update.com/products/l/LPIC.htm as a corridor or passageway denial system
*http://www.ionatron.com/ Ionatron