Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
How does light become powerful enough to cut, heal, measure, and even help us understand the universe? Dave Canning, Facility Manager for the Omega EP Laser at the University of Rochester’s Lab for Laser Energetics, starts with the basics: how lasers work, the role of light and electrons, and how laser technology has evolved over time.
From there, we explore what lasers can actually do—from the ones in your house to their use in medicine, industry, energy, and cutting-edge research.
We also look at how lasers are being used right now at the University of Rochester—and why curiosity-driven research continues to power real-world impact.
The Lab for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester is home to the world’s largest university-based laser facilities. At the heart of the lab is the Omega Laser Facility. Here, two football-field-sized laser systems drive targets smaller than a millimeter to pressures like those found in the center of planets and to temperatures hotter than the core of a star. These large lasers accomplish these phenomenal conditions in about a billionth of a second.
How does light become powerful enough to cut, heal, measure, and even help us understand the universe? Dave Canning, Facility Manager for the Omega EP Laser at the University of Rochester’s Lab for Laser Energetics, starts with the basics: how lasers work, the role of light and electrons, and how laser technology has evolved over time.
From there, we explore what lasers can actually do—from the ones in your house to their use in medicine, industry, energy, and cutting-edge research.
We also look at how lasers are being used right now at the University of Rochester—and why curiosity-driven research continues to power real-world impact.
The Lab for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester is home to the world’s largest university-based laser facilities. At the heart of the lab is the Omega Laser Facility. Here, two football-field-sized laser systems drive targets smaller than a millimeter to pressures like those found in the center of planets and to temperatures hotter than the core of a star. These large lasers accomplish these phenomenal conditions in about a billionth of a second.
