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John Nees: News

The US has a new most powerful laser

Hitting 2 petawatts, the NSF-funded ZEUS facility at U-M enables research that could improve medicine, national security, materials science and more.

Six faculty receive 2025 Ted Kennedy Family Faculty Team Excellence Award

These six research scientists helped design, build, and implement the ZEUS laser facility, which is the highest power laser in the U.S.

John Nees earns U-M Research Faculty Achievement Award

Nees has been a key contributor to the many ultrafast and high science advancements accomplished at the Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences.
CBS News: October 17, 2023

University of Michigan unveils new super powerful laser

In this video, John Nees and Gerard Mourou talk about the ZEUS laser and the 30-year journey to achieve the three-petawatt laser (100x the world grid power, says Nees). The laser is open to researchers around the world.
Michigan Daily: October 27, 2022

UMich research lab houses most powerful laser in the U.S., tests for future studies

The Michigan Daily features ZEUS, the new laser system at CUOS, which is the most powerful laser in the U.S.
Associated Press: September 15, 2022

Univ. of Michigan’s ZEUS will be most powerful laser in US

ZEUS is a 3 petawatt laser. And “3 petawatts is 3,000 times more powerful than the U.S. power grid,” said Louise Willingale, Assoc. Director of the laser facility.

First light soon at the most powerful laser in the US

The ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan has begun its commissioning experiments

John Nees wins Research Scientist Award from the College of Engineering

Nees is honored for his excellence in research and scholarship, as well as his distinguished career as a key member of the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science.

Nobel Prize winners talk research, Nobel ceremony, and are remembered by U-M colleagues

From rubbing elbows with royalty to finding yourself a casual seatmate to a member of U2, Professor Emeritus Gérard Mourou, Prof. Donna Strickland, and their former U-M colleagues shared their experiences and reflections on the 2018 Nobel Prize ceremony.

U-M to become Mount Olympus with ZEUS, the most powerful laser to be built in the U.S.

The three-petawatt system could unlock secrets of the universe, advance cancer treatments, improve security screenings for nuclear threats, and much more.

John Nees elected OSA Fellow

Nees recognized for work with ultrafast lasers

U-M Optics researchers sponsor Optics and Photonics Industry Snapshot

The Optics and Photonics event showed a thriving industry in SE Michigan

Star Wars tech: How far are we? Chewie gets answers

Chewie talks to experts about spacecraft thrusters, light sabers, droids, carbonite and holograms.

Michigan Light Project: Shining a light on optics

The MLP seeks to provide outreach and education about the world of optics in general, and the optics industry in Michigan specifically.

UARTS 250 (Creative Process): One of the universitys most intriguing classes

The new course brings together faculty from Art, Architecture, Engineering, and Music — all found on North Campus.

Gérard A. Mourou: In pursuit of new directions in science

“The future of CUOS is bright,” said Mourou. “Nothing will stop the flow of discoveries.”