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Chinese researchers did make characters appear to glow in mid-air—but not with a handheld pen and not as a conventional hologram. In a demonstration reported on July 19, 2022, a laboratory system in Wuhan used ultrashort laser pulses to create tiny luminous plasma points in air and arrange them into characters and graphics. The result was a research-stage volumetric display, not a documented consumer product.
What the Wuhan team demonstrated
The demonstration took place at the Hongtuo Ultrafast Laser Joint Laboratory in Wuhan’s East Lake High-Tech Development Zone. Xinhua, republishing a report from Science and Technology Daily, said the system displayed Chinese characters and graphic forms in free space. The images were described as visible from different angles, and the report said researchers could touch them. The work was presented as the result of more than a decade of research.
That is the underlying event behind headlines about a laser that “writes words in mid-air.” But “writes” is a visual shorthand: the reports describe characters and graphics formed from arranged light-emitting points, not a beam moving like an ink pen or ordinary handwriting created live in front of a viewer. The available accounts do not establish that the system can render arbitrary text or handwriting in real time.
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How a laser makes a point of air glow
The basic effect is laser-induced air breakdown. A very short, intensely focused laser pulse concentrates energy into a tiny region of air. The field can free or excite electrons in the air molecules, producing ionized gas—a plasma. As that plasma relaxes, it emits visible light.
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Each glowing point can be thought of as a voxel, the three-dimensional counterpart of a pixel. By making points at selected positions in space, the system can form a visible shape. One secondary account says a 3D scanning method was used to arrange pixel data, but the reports do not give enough technical detail to independently assess the scanner, optical setup, voxel spacing, or addressing method. Futurism’s coverage also noted that the process was not fully explained in the reporting.
Descriptions such as “scorching the air” convey the spectacle, but are not a precise explanation. The useful terms are plasma formation and laser-induced breakdown; the exact optical regime and operating parameters for this specific system are not fully documented in the available coverage.
Is it a hologram?
Not in the usual technical sense. A conventional hologram reconstructs a three-dimensional appearance by controlling light, often through interference or wavefront shaping. The Wuhan demonstration was reported to produce light-emitting plasma points in the air itself. “Hologram-like” may describe the impression, but “volumetric plasma display” is more accurate.
| Wuhan plasma display | Many projection-based displays | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the visible points form | In ionized air, according to the report | On or through a surface or medium, depending on the system |
| What creates the image | Light-emitting plasma voxels | Projected or reconstructed light |
| Key qualification | A real luminous volume, but demonstrated in a laboratory system | Some approaches need a screen, film, glass, fog, or other medium |
This distinction does not mean every technology called a hologram works the same way. It means the Wuhan result should not be mistaken for a standard projected image—or for a solid 3D object.
What does “touchable” mean?
The official report described the characters as touchable, but a plasma point is not a solid letter. The reporting does not spell out what sensation a person experienced, how it was measured, or what safety controls were used. It therefore does not justify describing the image as a touch screen, a force-feedback object, or something safe to handle casually.
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The same report mentioned audible crackling or breakdown noise. That is a reminder that this was an energetic physical effect, not simply light projected into empty space. Without detailed safety data, the touch claim should be treated as a reported feature of the demonstration rather than evidence of safe, practical interaction.
What does “one million megawatts” mean?
Some secondary reports repeat a peak-power figure of about one million megawatts, and some also cite an intensity near one trillion watts per square centimetre. These are reported figures, not a complete independently verified specification for the system. The Independent is among the coverage repeating the peak-power claim.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe key distinction is between peak power and average power. Peak power describes the rate of energy delivery during the pulse; average power accounts for energy over time, including the intervals between pulses. The reports describe femtosecond pulses—on the order of one quadrillionth of a second—so an enormous instantaneous peak does not mean the system continuously supplies that amount of power. It is also not interchangeable with pulse energy, power density, or electricity-generation capacity.
A separate report says the average input power was only a few tens of watts, but that figure is secondary reporting, not a full technical specification. ScienceTimes discusses the average-power claim. A modest average figure does not, by itself, establish that a high-intensity laser system is safe for public or consumer use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why it is not a consumer laser pen
The 2022 reports describe a high-energy laboratory laser system, not a handheld device designed for people to buy and use. They do not provide a consumer product page, operating instructions, full performance specifications, or an independent safety certification. The available evidence through August 18, 2026, supports calling this a research demonstration; it does not establish that this specific system became commercially available.
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Nor should anyone try to recreate the effect with a consumer laser. A focused, high-intensity beam can present serious eye and skin risks; plasma formation can involve heat and noise, and the hazards depend on the equipment and setup. The reports do not provide a complete hazard analysis, exposure limits, enclosure or interlock details, or safety certification for casual use.
What would make it practical?
A striking demonstration is not yet a display platform ready for homes, public spaces, or routine commercial use. To judge practical progress, readers would need technical answers about:
- Image quality: voxel size, brightness, frame rate, color range, and viewing distance.
- Scale and control: the display volume and whether it can render arbitrary images or only prepared patterns.
- Persistence: whether an image appears continuous, is rapidly scanned, or consists of isolated flashes.
- Safety and operating cost: eye and skin exposure, heat, sound, power consumption, efficiency, shielding, and interlocks.
- Reproducibility and deployment: independent replication, a peer-reviewed technical account, and evidence of an operating installation or commercial product.
The original report said the team expected further work on controlling pulse distribution and producing brighter, larger, multicolour images. Those are substantial development goals, not features the demonstration had already established. Other coverage has mentioned possible applications in 3D displays, brain imaging, precision manufacturing, quantum computing, and medical instruments; these should be read as proposed future possibilities, not deployed uses.
There are other ways to create floating-looking visuals, each with different trade-offs. Projection can use a screen or transparent surface; fog or mist can act as a projection medium; volumetric displays can use physical components in the image volume; and augmented-reality headsets can place virtual text in a wearer’s view. The plasma approach is distinctive because the reported luminous points form in air, but its laser, safety, noise, and scaling challenges matter as much as the visual effect.
The accurate takeaway
Wuhan researchers demonstrated characters and graphics made from laser-created plasma points in air in July 2022. That is a real and unusual laboratory result. Calling it a “laser pen” or simply a “hologram,” however, suggests a mature, handheld writing product that the reporting does not show. The system’s resolution, operating details, safety case, independent replication, and commercial status remain unestablished in the evidence cited here.
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