Story perspectives

Chinese Scientists Unveil Game-Changing 158.9nm Laser Technology

2/2/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Chinese scientists at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry developed a laser with a wavelength of 158.9 nanometers.
This achievement enables all-solid-state lasers to reach the highest recorded output energy.
The laser design is compact, cost-effective, and easier to maintain than traditional room-sized systems using gas plasma and synchrotron radiation.
The breakthrough stems from a decade of research on ammonium fluorooxoborate (ABF), a crystal central to the technology.

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Story summary

Chinese scientists at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry developed a laser with a wavelength of 158.9 nanometers.
This achievement enables all-solid-state lasers to reach the highest recorded output energy.
The laser design is compact, cost-effective, and easier to maintain than traditional room-sized systems using gas plasma and synchrotron radiation.
The breakthrough stems from a decade of research on ammonium fluorooxoborate (ABF), a crystal central to the technology.