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First Silicon Laser

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the shiny-happy-scientists dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Since the creation of the first working laser, scientists have fashioned them from substances ranging from neon to sapphire. Silicon was not considered a candidate, because its structure wouldn't allow for the proper line-up of electrons needed to get this semiconductor to emit light. That has now changed thanks to three researchers at Brown University who have created the first directly pumped silicon laser by drilling billions of holes in a small bit of silicon using a nanoscale template."

6 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Do you hear that? by chriswaclawik · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's the sound of a thousand slashdotters trying to make a "shark with friggin laser beams" joke before I do.

    --
    A guy walks into a bar... well, I forgot the joke, but the punchline is that he's an alcoholic.
    1. Re:Do you hear that? by Frostalicious · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's the sound of a thousand slashdotters trying to make a "shark with friggin laser beams" joke before I do.

      The true geek would have made the "house full of popcorn" joke before either of us.

  2. So many impossible things done! by Datamonstar · · Score: 4, Funny

    First bubbles, now Lasers! Frikin' Lasers!

    --
    The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
  3. Re:For their next trick... by Eric604 · · Score: 3, Funny
    they should start working on a silicone laser.
    You know...to make bigger boobies.

    That would be a silicone pump laser.

  4. Unfortunately... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    From TFA...
    "Right now, it works at 200 C below zero."

    It looks like we'll be seeing penguins with laser beams long before sharks with lasers beams.

  5. nanoscale template metaprogramming by smittyoneeach · · Score: 3, Funny

    smoke pouring soon out of a C++ compiler near you!

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear