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New Nano-Laser Created

Many sources are reporting that researchers have created the world's smallest laser since the inception of lasers almost a half-century ago. Dubbed "spasers," as an acronym for "surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," their incredibly tiny size could become a critical component for future technologies like "nanophotonic" circuitry. "Such circuits will require a laser-light source, but current lasers can't be made small enough to integrate them into electronic chips. Now researchers have overcome this obstacle, harnessing clouds of electrons called 'surface plasmons,' instead of the photons that make up light, to create the tiny spasers."

12 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. And in other news by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... geneticists are now working feverishly to develop the world's first nano-shark.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    1. Re:And in other news by tonyreadsnews · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually, I was thinking more like, frickin plankton with frickin lasers...
      Once heralded as the solution to world hunger, now could be the solution for population control.

  2. Nano-photonic circuitry!!?!?! by AtomicDevice · · Score: 5, Funny

    Awesome! I can finally get this mobile emitter working again so I can get the hell out of sick bay.

    --
    Ze Atomic Device! It iz Ztolen!
  3. Optical Hard drives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Optical Writeable Readable Hard drives that are Giga-giga-bakillion-kazakcipaloo-bytes and are random access/seeking - they're coming.

    All this technology and Slashdot's scripts still suck.

  4. Spaser, huh? by Millennium · · Score: 4, Funny

    So do they split into three parallel beams, thus covering a wider area than a single beam could along? And do they do the whole sinusoidal-oscillation thing if combined with a Wave Beam?

    1. Re:Spaser, huh? by Ironchew · · Score: 4, Funny

      Bah, this existed back in 1994. Problem is, it was mostly useless because you couldn't combine it with a Plasma Beam.
      Useless, I say!

  5. Well, that's nice by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 5, Funny

    But I think I'll wait for the Laser Shuffle.

  6. Re:Words by FrankSchwab · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, they are; and writing bogus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmon Wikipedia entries about them. /frank

    --
    And the worms ate into his brain.
  7. how will we be able to hear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The tiny "pew pew pew" sounds? Hardly sounds fun to me.

  8. Re:Linux by oldspewey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Drivers are only available for minix

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  9. Re:Wake me when they have something in production. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nicely said, although it's sad that you have to explain that on Slashdot, of all places.

  10. Re:Words by MadUndergrad · · Score: 4, Funny

    From the Wikipedia article:

    "For plasmon-based electronics to be useful, an analog to the transistor, called a plasmonster, must be invented."

    It is dark. You are likely to be eaten by a plasmonster.