Lab tests prove the efficacy and quality of using (140dB!) sound waves to deflect (20 gigawatt!) laser beams: https://thedebrief.org/laser-beams-deflected-off-of-nothing-but-air-for-first-time-ever-in-breakthrough-patent-pending-process/
#emergingtech
/cc @Biggles who is the only actual laser engineer I know (former or otherwise)
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Seems pretty cool - light bending because of differences in air density is well known, as the article points out, but to be able to control it has a ton of potential. A "virtual lens" could be changed on the fly and never breaks - it's a neat concept. I'd like to see how they operationalize things. Sometimes the jump from lab table to product is harder than it seems.
