Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin plan to build an exawatt laser with a power equivalent to 1000 petawatts (1 quadrillion watts).

The main research uses for their current laser, the Texas Petawatt Laser, the world’s most powerful, is to produce thermonuclear fusion for making electricity and to strike targets that release neutrons that can that can then be used for biomedical or nanotech research.