Searchlights commonly use Xenon lamps, which are also known as HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps. When people want brighter car headlights, they often switch to this type of lamp.

The construction consists of a quartz tube containing two electrodes, filled with xenon gas and metal salts (metal halides).

When high voltage is applied between the two electrodes, the xenon gas allows an arc to strike quickly. As the arc forms and the temperature rises, the metal salts vaporize into a gaseous state and form plasma. This plasma produces very high brightness and emits light similar to daylight.

Xenon (HID) lights are more efficient than halogen lights and provide higher luminous output. In addition, their light spectrum is close to natural sunlight, which is why they are widely used in simulator systems and searchlight applications.

The lamp size and power rating vary depending on the application.

The searchlight shown here uses a 2000W Xenon lamp.

One important precaution when replacing this type of lamp is that Xenon lamps are high-pressure discharge lamps. If they break or explode, they can be dangerous to the surrounding area (up to about 10 feet). Therefore, proper PPE such as face protection and gloves must always be used during maintenance.