Tech & Biz

Room Temperature Nanolaser Developed

by ScienceDave | June 21, 2007 at 07:14 am

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Lazers are virtually everywhere, from scanning your food items at the grocery store, to cutting a piece of steel pipe, to "burning" your reports into paper as it is printed (Oh, lest we forget Dr. Evil's maniacal plans to rule the world).

This week, further advances in the understanding of lasers has led to the development of a room-temperature, highly efficient laser that emitts light in the infra-red spectrum. The laser requires only 1 microwatt of energy, compared to CD or DVD drives that require 5-10 milliwatts (that's 5000-10,000 times more energy).

By operating at room temperature and in a mode where laser light is
emitted continuously, the new nanolaser from Yokohama National
University distinguishes itself from previous designs. For a laser
device that depends on the delicate effects of quantum mechanics, the
random noise associated with even a moderately warm environment usually
overwhelms the process of producing laser light. Yet this laser
operates at room temperature. It also produces a continuous output of
light, rather than a series of pulses. This desirable continuous
operation is more difficult to achieve because it requires careful
management of the device's power consumption and heat dissipation.