Two parallel UV lasers, of sufficient power, will form a nice stable channel of ionized air between them.
A virtual wire, if you will. A single laser may work less reliably, as the ionization will be 360 degrees around the beam. Having 2 of them creates overlap. You do have to remember to place said lasers behind insulating glass, otherwise the zzzzzap will probably kill the lasers.
This is from a 1996/7 "phaser" project, that was attempting to re-create a Trek phaser type weapon to possibly stun pesky perps evading capture, without the need for a projectile used in tazers. It was the size of a car though, so not very practical. It's also not really a phaser, they just used the name to get funding from nerds.
Still, there is no reason one could not adapt it to guide a far higher zap than that needed to stun a person.
(
Dave Trouser ; the people's choice - 75% agree, Thu 6 Feb 2025, 17:52,
Reply)