Oxford University researchers used a soft X-ray laser to create a new transparent aluminum, though it was transparent for just a fraction of a nanosecond.

Using a FLASH laser able to utilize fast pulses of soft X-ray light, the radiation is said to be ten billion times brighter than other high-power devices.  The energy generated by the FLASH laser could have powered a small city.

The powerful beam caused the aluminum to become transparent for a total of 40 femtoseconds, which is only a fraction of a nanosecond, though is a sign of things to come.  Furthermore, all of the power was directed to a location on the aluminum that had a diameter less than a twentieth of the width of a single strand of human hair.

"What we have created is a completely new state of matter nobody has seen before," according to Oxford University Professor Justin Wark.  "Transparent aluminum is just the start. The physical properties of the matter we are creating are relevant to the conditions inside large planets, and we also hope that by studying it we can gain a greater understanding of what is going on during the creation of 'miniature stars' created by high-power laser implosions, which may one day allow the power of nuclear fusion to be harnessed here on Earth."

Oxford researchers believe it's possible large planets, such as the core of Jupiter, share similar characteristics to the aluminum they manipulated, which means the technology could one day be used in space.  The necessary power required -- and the small area that was transparent -- obviously means it will be many years before it can be used to evaluate other planets, but the technology is a step in the right direction.

It may also be possible to help researchers have a better understanding of the activities inside a miniature star, and may be harnessed for power generation on Earth.

The tests, conducted in Hamburg, Germany, give researchers further hope they'll be able to turn aluminum transparent for a longer duration in future tests.  In similar research, scientists were able to use high-power lasers to manipulate the way liquids flowed on a metallic surface, with that research also expected to continue.