The demonstration was considered the first time that humans have been able to guide lightning with lasers, a technology that could help protect wider areas against dangerous strikes.
The Laser Lightning Rod (LLR) is a new laser system with an average power of 1kW, pulsing about 1,000 times per second while unleashing one joule of energy per pulse.
To test the technology, a team of scientists from six research institutions set up the LLR on the summit of Säntis, in the Swiss Alps, near a 124m-high telecoms tower that is struck by lightning about 100 times a year. Between June and September 2021, the researchers beamed a laser into the clouds, aiming to create a path of least resistance for the electricity to flow through.
The system was used during four lightning strikes over the course of the summer, in which it was able to bend the bolt successfully and divert its path over 50 metres.
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