A laser beam pointing into the sky can divert lightning strikes, a Swiss-based project has shown, in what the scientists involved say is the most significant advance in lightning protection technology since Benjamin Franklin invented the metal conducting rod in the mid-18th century.
The “laser lightning rod” deflected four strikes at the Swisscom transmitter tower on Mount Säntis in Appenzell during six hours of thunderstorm activity. The electrical discharges followed the course of a high-frequency laser beam through the air for up to 60 metres.
“Our work represents an important step forward in developing laser-based lightning protection for critical infrastructure such as airports, launch pads and power stations,” said Jean-Pierre Wolf of the University of Geneva, senior author of a paper releasing the experiment’s results in the journal Nature Photonics.