NASA is investigating technology that could lead to a warp drive!
The presence of a warp field region will induce a relative phase shift between the split beams from the He-Ne laser. The shift will be detectable if it's large enough.
He simple answer to the second part of the question is that this will help us achieve real warp drive because it would show it's possible to make a warp field generator.
If it works then it will cause a contraction in space in front of the ring and an expansion behind it, allowing it to exhibit an arbitrarily large speed to an external observer, while never violating the speed of light locally.
We will soon be able to warp!
