The new observations tell that the thunderstorms form gamma-rays. That could make gamma-ray lasers possible.

 

"An illustration of NASA’s research plane ER-2 flying over thunderstorms. Credit: University of Bergen / Mount Visual (CC BY 4.0), edited" (ScitechDaily, Surprising Discovery: NASA’s Retrofitted U2 Spy Plane Reveals Tropical Lightning Storms Are Radioactive)

The new observations tell that the thunderstorms form gamma-rays. That could make gamma-ray lasers possible. The process has been observed by the NASA (Lockheed) ER-2 research plane, which is a modified U-2 spy plane. The gamma-ray formation in thunderstorms. Where lightning and electric fields release electrons that impact the air molecules and water droplets is an interesting thing. That thing opens the route to solving many mysteries. 

"The general physics behind how thunderstorms create high-energy flashes of gamma radiation is not a mystery. As thunderstorms develop, swirling drafts drive water droplets, hail, and ice into a mixture that creates an electric charge much like rubbing a balloon on your shirt. Positively charged particles end up at the top of the storm while negatively charged particles drop to the bottom, creating an enormous electric field that can be as strong as 100 million AA batteries stacked end-to-end." (ScitechDaily, Surprising Discovery: NASA’s Retrofitted U2 Spy Plane Reveals Tropical Lightning Storms Are Radioactive)

ER-2

"The researchers were equally excited to see numerous examples of short duration and intense gamma radiation bursts coming from the same thunderstorms. Some of these were precisely like those that were originally detected by the NASA satellites. These almost always occurred in conjunction with an active lightning discharge. This suggests that the large electric field created by lightning is likely supercharging the already high-energy electrons, enabling them to create high-energy nuclear reactions." (ScitechDaily, Surprising Discovery: NASA’s Retrofitted U2 Spy Plane Reveals Tropical Lightning Storms Are Radioactive)

The gamma rays in thunderstorms can make the gamma-ray lasers possible. 

"Since the 1960s, advancements in laser technology have aimed to enhance peak power and produce light at shorter wavelengths, with significant progress marked by the development of chirped pulse amplification in the 1980s. Current research focuses on overcoming challenges in generating coherent gamma rays, a critical step toward revolutionary applications in imaging and material studies. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com" (ScitechDaily, Is a Gamma-Ray Laser Possible)

1) Gamma-ray tube around the eruption channel

2) Gamma-ray source at the bottom of the tube

3) Gamma-ray beam. 

As you see, the gamma-ray laser is rather a maser than a laser. The reason for that is this: the reflection of gamma rays is impossible. There are no mirrors that can put gamma rays between them like in lasers. In regular lasers, light jumps between mirrors in regular lasers side-coming radiation emission increases that light power. That reflection is impossible in gamma-ray frequency because they are so penetrating. And there is no known material that can reflect the gamma-ray. 

Above: 

Components of a typical laser:

1) Gain medium

2) Laser pumping energy

3) High reflector

4) Output coupler

5) Laser beam

The problem with making the gamma-ray laser has been to produce the artificial gamma-rays. The thing that gamma-ray bursts form in thunderstorms may make it possible to create the gamma-ray laser. The idea of this kind of system is quite simple. There is an artificial cloud in the low-pressure tube that simulates the thundercloud. 

Then the high-power electric systems will inject electricity into that thing. Those systems are similar to those used in particle accelerators. The idea is that the system acts like a maser which is the gamma source at the bottom of the tube. The system injects gamma rays into the tube around the eruption channel, and the gamma-ray source in the bottom makes those gamma rays move. 

The side-coming gamma rays push those gamma rays that are coming from the gamma chamber at the bottom into coherent mode. The system acts like a maser. The side-coming gamma rays increase the power of the gamma rays that travel through the field. 

The system is more like a maser than a laser. The problem is that making gamma-ray reflection is not possible. In maser, the microwave (or magnetic) field increases the microwave power. In a gamma-ray maser or laser, the system uses a gamma-ray field to increase gamma-ray power. 

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/er-2-aircraft/

https://scitechdaily.com/is-a-gamma-ray-laser-possible/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser