WASHINGTON, D.C. –
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recognized the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) during their POWER Phase 2 Industry Day on May 29, for contributions to the
Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, which shattered existing records for optical power beaming over distance.
Power beaming is a method of transmitting electricity wirelessly through the air using directed energy, such as laser light. Instead of relying on traditional cables, scientists use precisely aimed beams to deliver power over long distances from a stationary source to a remote receiver, such as a drone or forward operating base. This technology functions like wireless charging but operates across much greater ranges, offering a potential breakthrough in energy logistics for both civilian and defense applications.
NRL Electrical Engineer Alex Grede, Ph.D., and Research Physicist Justin Lorentzen performed critical technical contributions for POWER.
In a landmark series of tests at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, the POWER team achieved more than 800 watts of power delivered during a 30-second transmission from a laser 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) away. Over the course of the campaign, more than one megajoule of energy was successfully transferred, surpassing previous benchmarks by orders of magnitude.
The NRL team measured the record-breaking achievement for DARPA’s POWER Receiver Array Demo (PRAD). Their technical expertise and collaboration with industry and government partners were instrumental in achieving the milestone.
“There’s a statistic that the majority of casualties that were experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan were related to fuel and water delivery,” Lorentzen said. “The idea is to reduce the number of fuel deliveries that are needed by supplementing the power delivery to forward operating positions with power beaming.”
Power beaming can be used to mitigate varying issues that the military is faced with.
“Now in modern warfare, we are seeing an explosion in autonomous systems and platforms, but one of the issues is keeping them powered. This technology could be the solution,” Lorentzen said.
The program is exploring the use of laser-based power beaming to energy transmission to remote locations without traditional infrastructure—a potential game changer for defense, humanitarian assistance, and space applications.
“Marines do a lot of humanitarian efforts. In areas that become inaccessible during a storm, you could just drop receivers and emitters. That way you don't need to worry about running cabling,” Grede said. “You don't need to worry about inaccessible roads and areas because you can build wireless infrastructure.”
NRL’s systematic power-beaming efforts have advanced from early ground tests in 2009 to groundbreaking demonstrations in space in 2023 and then recently this record-smashing optical transmission. NRL is a core participant in these programs that are funded by the Operational Energy Innovation Directorate and continues to play a leading role in advancing power beaming technologies.
To celebrate their most recent achievement, the team used the power delivery system to pop popcorn, paying homage to a famous scene from the 1985 film
Real Genius. In the movie, a group of student scientists discover their laser project is being militarized. As a form of protest, they redirect the laser to their corrupt professor’s house, which they’ve secretly filled with popcorn kernels. When the beam hits, the house bursts apart in an explosion of popcorn that floods the home and spills out into the yard.
Real Genius is a known favorite among researchers in the directed energy field, and the popcorn celebration was a fitting tribute to both science and cinematic inspiration.
About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL, located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or
nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil. Please reference package number at top of press release.