ULTRA-BRIGHT LIGHT BREAKTHROUGH COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING

Creating an ultra-bright light in a small space is harder than it sounds... But scientists think it may be possible

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A new method of producing an ultra-bright light that breaks traditional laws of particle physics, could potentially spark a technological revolution. The ultra-bright light, a form of 'coherent light', is created by particles moving in synchrony rather than independently. This synchrony creates incredibly fast, intense pulses that operate on a scale of atto-seconds - or one thousandth of a millionth of a billionth of a second.

While machines that are currently capable of creating ultra-bright light are miles long, scientists have now produced plans for just such a light source that can fit into a single room. It could lead to a "mini-societal, technological and scientific revolution", the researchers behind the development told BBC Science Focus.