Electric plasma can be formed in mid-air, making an ionic channel that transfers electrical current. This current can power high-voltage electronics, kill bacteria, produce tactile sensations or be used for welding. However, the formation of the spark is chaotic and hard to control. Electrolasers can create guided discharges but require high-power lasers that are disruptive and cumbersome to control. Here, we show that ultrasonic fields can guide plasma sparks, even around obstacles. The ultrasonic beams can be directed dynamically and within milliseconds enabling precise, non-dangerous and fast control of high-voltage sparks. This new phenomenon can be used for applications in high-voltage switching and plasma treatments.
Cite this Work
BibTex:
@article{
doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp0686,
author = {Josu Irisarri and Iñigo Ezcurdia and Naroa Iriarte and Marika Sirkka and Dmitry Nikolaev and Joni Mäkinen and Alexander Martinez-Marchese and Denys Iablonskyi and Ari Salmi and Asier Marzo },
title = {Electric plasma guided with ultrasonic fields},
journal = {Science Advances},
volume = {11},
number = {6},
pages = {eadp0686},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.adp0686},
URL = {https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.adp0686},
eprint = {https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adp0686},
abstract = {Electric plasma forms sparks in midair that transfer electrical current. This current can power high-voltage electronics, kill bacteria, produce tactile sensations, or be used for welding. However, the formation of the spark is chaotic and hard to control. Laser pulses can guide discharges but require high power and are disruptive and cumbersome to control. Here, we show that ultrasonic fields can guide plasma sparks, even around obstacles. The ultrasonic beams can be directed dynamically and within milliseconds, enabling precise, nondangerous, and fast control of high-voltage sparks. This phenomenon can be used for applications in high-voltage switching and plasma treatments. Dynamic ultrasonic beams can guide electric sparks with millimeter accuracy within milliseconds and around complex trajectories.}}
APA:
Irisarri, J., Ezcurdia, I., Iriarte, N., Sirkka, M., Nikolaev, D., Mäkinen, J., … Marzo, A. (2025). Electric plasma guided with ultrasonic fields. Science Advances, 11(6), eadp0686. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp0686