Lightsaber is a marvel Star Wars gifted its fans in 1977. Today such a futuristic technology has physicists and scientists in a chokehold.
Fans are eager to get their hands on a real-life plasma blade. We believe that deep in the corners of the space fantasy are clues that will help untangle the engineering challenges.
However unrealistic goals, Star Wars may have presented us with. We have been successful in creating prototypes that are getting closer to George Lucas’s idealistic lightsabers.
Disney Retractable Lightsaber
Disney retractable lightsabers were introduced in 2022. It was a huge breakthrough for lightsaber enthusiasts. According to the Virtual Reality developer, Ben Ridout, Disney’s retractable plasma blade is not strong enough to cut through flesh and metal. Yet it can be emitted and closed on demand.
That is progress. Moreover, it also means we are getting a step closer to our fantasy to reality dream. Some of us are still holding out a candle for the day we will fight Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back, style. No holds barred!
Disney’s innovative emitter blade ends at rolling RGB light strips. There has been no improvement in pixel lightsabers since then. That is nowhere close to what we were promised!
Laser the First Choice
Laser, as a first step to constructing a plasma blade lightsaber makes a lot of sense.
An ideal lightsaber is a portable, illuminous, and safe weapon that can be pocketed and whipped out at will. There are several options like photonic emission and fusion reactors that have been an inspiration for the lightsaber-making process.
Fans have often confused the lightsaber blade with a laser light instead of a plasma emission. In Star Wars the lightsabers are the plasma crystals powered by Diatium Cells.
GTT mirage blow torches are used as a base to demonstrate the functioning of a plasma blade. But then again neither is the gas a concentrated plasma nor does it have the temperature stability.
Plasma Concentration
Plasma, the fourth state of matter, has the potential of building a smoldering and sleek realistic lightsaber blade. Star Wars got that part right.
The ionic particles in plasma are naturally diffused within the set boundaries. They need to be aligned into a concentrated mass to form a linear column for a plasma blade.
Secondly, the energy produced during control is too high to support the gas medium of a standard-sized lightsaber of Nano Kelvins. To function like a fantasy steel-melting blade the plasma has to be a thousand Fahrenheit’s. Again, not an ideal situation for combating.
In simple words, harnessing a huge amount of energy for a minuscule weapon is not in the scope of current advancements.
Electromagnetic Fields
Electromagnetic fields contain power and force to change the length and width of the plasma blade. Moreover, the intensity and force of the radiation fields can also change the alignment and cut off the plasma emission.
Why do we need magnetic fields?
All the ionized particles in the plasma must first be aligned in a certain direction. The intrinsic ability of particles to reject one another makes it impossible to sustain a plasma beam for an extended period.
Using a magnetic field is a rightful solution. Strong magnetic fields that exert stress on particles and give them structure can be produced using magnetic plates.
The catch is generating tiny magnetic fields that fit within a handheld hilt. Another problem is producing enough energy from the tiny batteries to support the plasma emission.
Clash of Materials
Star Wars Jedi Lightsabers can clash with other lightsaber plasma crystals without passing through them.
Additionally, these luminous and elegant blades can melt steel, boil water, and clean-cut your opponents.
In reality, creating such a weapon even with stable energy and temperature conditions raises questions about security and ethics. Secondly, customization of such a weapon necessitates the usage of a malleable and resistant material.
Color change? Interaction with a wide range of materials? Without the lightsaber getting torched or damaged?
The creation of a versatile material that checks off all the above questions is still under process. To perform fantastically the lightsaber has to be constructed with an outstanding material itself!
Conclusion
Retracing the Space Odyssey movie steps can surprisingly help us build a realistic plasma lightsaber. However, the engineering challenges today make that impossible. Laser and plasma advancements are linked to nuclear experiments. A small progress is a beacon of hope for lightsaber enthusiasts.
While we may not be getting an elegant weapon from our imagination. We sure are advancing and smoothing hurdles in search of futuristic Star Wars weaponry.
