This has indeed been a concept that has been considered for various applications. Here is one from 2012 where the US Army was supposedly experimenting with a weapon that used a laser to generate a plasma channel which directed a lightning bolt at its target:
LIPC - Laser Induced Plasma Channel
Non-military uses include this concept from the EPFL School of Engineering using a laser as a lightning rod:
Laser Lightning Rod Project
I wonder how many different applications might already exist?
Matt Lewis, Fairlee VT
-----Original Message-----
From: David Thomson <aetherwizard@xxxxxxxxx>
To: David Varas <varas_david@xxxxxxxx>; Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, Sep 6, 2020 8:47 pm
Subject: Re: [TCML] voltage on the streamers
I have imagined that using a high powered (5mw) laser would create an
ionized channel through the atmosphere for streamers to follow. I wonder if
anybody has done this, yet?
David Thomson
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