China's new 'spy' laser system can read tiny text smaller than a grain of rice from 2km away, here's everything we know about it

Chinese researchers have developed a laser-based imaging system that can read tiny text  and little details in high resolution from a mile away. The scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China, have designed this system. They tested this using a new technique called active intensity interferometry to read text as small as 1 millimeter from nearly 1.4 kilometers (almost a mile) away. Traditional long-range cameras and telescopes can't clearly capture tiny details from far away, but this laser system can, here's how it works.

How does it work

Chinese scientists say that this new laser system fixes its target, the non luminous objects unlike stars. It shines eight laser beams on it, instead of just clicking pictures. They study how the light bounces back and hit surfaces. Along with this, two telescopes are then used to record these reflections. 

The scientists then compare the little differences in the light detected by the two telescopes. Through this setup, they are able to reconstruct highly detailed images. It captures even very small text and letters.

In the study, authors explained, "Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimetre-scale targets located at 1.36 km away, achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope."

Useful in several fields

Many argued that this new technology can be alarming. It can be used for spying purposes. However, it can be a major breakthrough in other fields like Archaeology, for reading ancient writings or carvings from a distance. then it can be used for wildlife monitoring. The technology could also be used in astronomy, environmental science, and many more fields.

Limitations

This laser setup is very powerful, but come with its own challenges. 

1. It requires a clear line of sight to the target. 

2. It  requires the target to be lit up and can not work in 'secrecy'. This limitation rules out its usage in Defence.

3. Weather conditions such as fog, rain, or dust can affect performance.

4. Its real-time functionality is also very time-consuming, with a huge setup.