Scientists discover laser light can cast a shadow
optica.org
optica.org
The shadow is cast by the crystal not the laser light.
It sounds like it began with a playful challenge to recreate a bug in computer rendering in the physical world. And it looks like they created the building blocks a laser-based logic gate without traditional photodiodes.
Then try it in vacuum ;)
"a laser beam can act like an opaque object and cast a shadow" will not happen.