The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has invented a new way of making transparent spinel, a mineral that is tougher, stronger, harder than glass.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory/Jamie Hartman

The new material has many military applications: from protecting electrooptical sensors to powering next generation lasers. A key advantage is that spinel allows infrared light to go through it. This will reduce the costs of protecting infrared sensors by switching away from more exotic materials.

Source: Alert 5