The effect occurs because the green laser increases the optical absorption of the blue illuminating laser beam, creating a matching region in the illuminating light with lower optical intensity.

Conventional knowledge presupposes that if two light beams cross, nothing of note happens ... "Our demonstration of a very counter-intuitive optical effect invites us to reconsider our notion ...

Due to precisely calculated interference effects, the incident light beam interferes with the beam reflected back between the mirrors, so that the reflected beam is ultimately completely extinguished.