Hardlight

Photons directed through hyperspace. The coherent electromagnetic field forms a solid structure, repelling matter as if it were physical. The shape can be set at construction, or computer-controlled and quickly variable, but set shapes use less power.
Hardlight generators come in two parts. The "carver" shapes the intangible waveguide in hyperspace, and the "source" provides the energy to fill it.
In generators with single set shapes, the carver is a relatively simple mechanism. In programmable-shape generators it is much more complex, similar to a phased array of simple carvers. Creating the hyperspace field is energy-intensive compared to sustaining or altering it.
Once the field is created, the connected source produces coherent light or radiation to follow it. Sources are mundane enough, a laser of any spectrum, but the emitter end is permanently pushed into hyperspace at high-energy factories. The source doesn't run constantly at full power unless the construct is damaged- Light is contained inside the waveguide, with only the bright glow of hardlight as leakage.

Geometry

Hardlight constructs have to be connected to the generator, but can pass through transparent substances. If an opaque solid blocks the projection, it will either flow around it or stop. Hardlight constructs are mostly flat planes or lines, solid blocks of light are hard to fill and will usually be generated like hollow boxes instead.
Usefully, hardlight can pass through transparent fluids but will then block them from flowing- visible frequencies can create bubbles of atmosphere or hold back water.
With unresponsive simple carvers, it is an entirely unyielding solid. By default it feels incredibly smooth like glass or diamondoid, sometimes striped with low-quality carvers. More detailed carvers can create replica textures, and programmable carvers with the appropriate sensors can reshape hardlight to feel soft.

Physical Properties and Damage

Hardlight is, as the name suggests, very hard. It's not invincible though- Pushing hard enough will breach the carver's containment, forcing the stored light to interact with whatever's pushing. Points or edges will cut, flat plates will burn a large surface. This depletes the field's stored energy, and will eventually disrupt the hyperspace field, forcing the generator to restart.
If the construct is disrupted very fast (a large part of the field breached, or more than half its energy drained at once) the hardlight will "shatter"- In a way, it's very brittle, unless the computer changes its shape or decides to safely shut down an object can never pass through hardlight without shattering it.
When shattered, the radiation safely stored in hardlight is suddenly not so safe. It scatters in all directions, heating or possibly irradiating anything nearby.

Appearance (and interaction with light)

Hardlight containment "leaks" slightly, producing a glow in the source's color. Radiation of the source's frequency is absorbed. Radiation of other frequencies interferes with the construct, with some passing through.
The interference is usually a negligible power draw, and lets people see through hardlight windows, but intense lasers or radiation will deplete the construct's stored energy. This level of interference and passthrough can be tuned, but is usually set so that sensors can see through the light but dangerous radiation or laser weapons are stopped.

Statistics and Design

One major use of hardlight is defensive or structural. The energy going into a generator can be distributed in different ways (almost always determined when the generator is built), and the size of the generator determines how much energy it can safely use.
Energy can be used by the carver or source, each of which has two important attributes.
Carver range: Projecting the light further (effectively making a larger construct) takes more power, especially when initially creating the waveguide. Many large constructs are made with multiple smaller generators wired together.
Carver containment: Holding the light in containment takes power. The more energy is fed to containment, the harder it is to breach the construct at all. This makes them harder, or, able to support more weight before whatever's resting on them falls into the field and starts burning.
Source intensity: The waveguide being filled with light is what gives it structure. A higher intensity doesn't make the field harder to disrupt, but it does make it more tolerant to damage- More hitpoints, effectively.
Source frequency: Higher frequencies of light are more energetic, and difficult to produce. This mostly only modifies the source intensity, with low frequencies (red, infrared, microwave) having a higher effective intensity and high frequencies (violet, ultraviolet, x-ray) having much lower effective intensities. It also changes the color or radiation of the glow.
Industrial or structural hardlight is often infrared (or red for visibility), because it makes it much stronger and less dangerous to be near. The only use for high-frequency hardlight is as a cutting tool or weapon, high frequencies will heat and cut matter more.

Parent Technologies

• Hyperspace Metrics

Access & Availability

Low-power and low-frequency hardlight generators are readily available, in the form of high-tech furniture or tools. Higher power generators get more military-grade.