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Breakthrough In Plastic Lasers

Posted by kdawson on from the attach-plastic-sharks-here dept.

esocid writes "Conventional electrically-powered laser diodes used in everyday consumer goods like DVD players are currently based on inorganic semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, and related alloys. Plastic laser diodes offer the promise of covering more of the light spectrum than their counterparts, from near ultraviolet to the near infrared. Yet despite over a decade of research worldwide, plastic laser diodes have not yet been demonstrated because there haven't been any plastics that could sustain a large enough current while also supporting the efficient light emission needed to produce a laser beam. Now researchers at Imperial College London, publishing their findings in Nature Materials in April, are studying a plastic related to PFO (polydioctylfluorene), a blue-light emitting material; by making subtle changes in the plastic's chemical structure they have produced a material that transports charges 200 times better than before, while actually increasing its ability to emit light efficiently."

7 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by Daimanta · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, all we need is a breakthrough with plastic sharks.

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
  2. Awsome by Peter_The_Linux_Nerd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cool, the US government has worked out another piece of technology from the Roswell crash.

  3. Re:plastics make it possible by psued0ch · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can prove this. I am posting with a plastic keyboard.

  4. Plastic Lasers .... by brunokummel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now my LEGO Gun will be complete!
    MWAHAHAHAH!

    --
    What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
  5. We can EASILY defeat your meagre Plastic Lasers... by JoshDM · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... with our plastic consuming bacteria!

  6. This will produce easier to read bombs by LM741N · · Score: 2, Funny

    You know, every bomb has an LED readout that counts down the minutes and seconds. I saw it on TV. Even nukes have them.

  7. Two words... by naoursla · · Score: 4, Funny

    Shortly after earning my bachelors degree from an unnamed college in the Northest, one of my parent's friends took me aside at a party and gave me a recommendation for a successful career. His advice consisted of two words: plastic lasers.

    I didn't listen to him then but I believe him now.

    Also, I slept with his wife.