The technology uses a femtosecond laser, which means it pulses at speeds of one-quadrillionth of a second.

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Femtosecond lasers are beginning to be used in medicine, although such applications are at an early stage of development.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers

Meanwhile, femtosecond lasers will continue to set speed records and explore new frontiers.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers

But using infrared femtosecond lasers with carefully selected wavelengths, a US team targeted viruses and bacteria without harming other cells.

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Groups like the one in Missouri are also investigating exactly how different types of human tissue and bone react to femtosecond lasers.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers

Femtosecond lasers can also be used to interact with other materials and generate particle beams for experiments, says Karl Krushelnick, of the University of Michigan.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers

Later this year Dr Tzou hopes to have one that will deliver femtosecond pulses along flexible fibre cables, which can be held like a light-pen.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers

"Because the femtosecond laser radiation can be precisely focused both spatially and temporally, one can avoid heating up too many other things that you do not want heated, " said Parigger.

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It can then release the light it absorbs in quick bursts that last a few femtoseconds each (with one femtosecond lasting one millionth of one billionth of a second), which is what ultrashort-pulse lasers do.

ENGADGET

Smaller femtosecond lasers are already in production.

ECONOMIST: Ultra-fast lasers