Directed Energy Weapons are weapons that cause damage by concentrating energy against a target, whether that be electromagnetic radiation, high-energy particles, or other types of energy. These weapons are in wide-spread use throughout the galaxy, with most interstellar civilizations preferring a single type of directed energy weapon for their armed forces. For example, the Federation, the Cardassian Union, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Bajoran Republic all use phasers, while the Klingon Empire and the Romulan states use disruptors, and the Dominion uses phased polaron beams.

Phasers

The USS Lakota firing a phaser bank.

Phasers are the most common energy weapon in use by a number of powers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, including the Federation, Cardassians, and Bajorans. Originally an acronym meaning “PHASed Energy Rectification,” phasers operate by the application of the so-called “rapid nadion effect (RNE),” using nadions to amplify the effect of superconducting crystals to create a coherent and highly-controllable beam of energy to create effects ranging from heating targets to causing targets to lose molecular cohesion entirely.

Disruptors

While disruptors vary wildly in terms of their specific method of operation, the way they cause damage to targets is by disrupting the sub-atomic bonds of matter, literally tearing it apart. Romulan and Klingon disruptors are plasma-based, while Hirogen disruptors are tetryon-based. Disruptors generally have less fine control over their settings, either operating at a stun level or at full power. Many disruptors lack the stun setting altogether.

Phased Polaron Beams

Phased Polaron Beams use subspace fields to manipulate beams of high-energy polarons, which are the antimatter equivalent of muons. This allows them to easily penetrate most forms of shielding and directly through solid matter, which causes immense damage. This technology is used by the Dominion and the Breen.

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