A research effort described by Phys.org has produced an antenna that transmits radio waves through air turned into plasma by a laser, giving the device a look compared to a lightsaber. The report, published Monday, October 5, 2026, describes the approach as using laser-ionized air as the transmitting medium.
According to Phys.org, the setup relies on ionizing air with a laser rather than on a conventional metal conductor. That ionized air, or plasma, then carries radio waves. Phys.org characterizes the visible result as resembling a lightsaber.
The reporting does not include the names of the researchers, the institution behind the work, or performance figures such as range, frequency, or power. Those details are not available in the material summarized here.
The concept fits into a broader line of inquiry into plasma antennas, in which ionized gas stands in for solid metal elements. Phys.org presents the laser-ionized-air version as a working means of radio transmission rather than a theoretical proposal, though the summary provides no measurements to indicate how it compares with standard antennas.
Because the available material is limited to a headline and summary, questions about efficiency, durability, and practical deployment remain open. What to watch next: whether the team publishes technical results or demonstrations that clarify how the plasma antenna performs outside the lab.
