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Lasers for engine ignition

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The pollutant emissions and high-energy consumption of combustion engines using conventional spark plugs have long been serious environmental problems. Now, it has been demonstrated that lasers can provide a feasible green alternative. Duncan Graham-Rowe reports.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Laser-ignition conbustion efficiency.
Figure 3: Breakdown in air by a microlaser with a pulse energy of 2.7 mJ.
Figure 4: Comparison of a conventional and a microlaser spark plug.
Figure 5
Figure 6

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duncan Graham-Rowe is a freelance science and technology journalist based in Brighton, UK. duncangr@gmail.com,

    Duncan Graham-Rowe

  2. Additional reporting by Rachel Won, an associate editor of Nature Photonics based in Tokyo, Japan. r.won@natureasia.com,

    Rachel Won

Authors
  1. Duncan Graham-Rowe
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  2. Rachel Won
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Graham-Rowe, D., Won, R. Lasers for engine ignition. Nature Photon 2, 515–517 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.161

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.161

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