The light output of microscopic lasers has been increased a thousandfold by a
team from Bell Labs and Yale University in the US and the Max Planck Institute
of Physics in Germany. Earlier devices emitted light around the edge of a
semiconductor disc a few micrometres wide and a fraction of a micrometre thick.
In last week鈥檚 Science (vol 280, p 1556) the researchers announce their
new design, a cylinder 70 micrometres wide designed to reflect light chaotically
inside it. This produces an emission pattern shaped like a bow tie, which
generates four laser beams, each of about 10 milliwatts, from the points of the
bow.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles