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Engineers Build Ultrasmall Organic Laser

Posted by Soulskill on from the arming-the-nanites dept.

ckwu writes: Researchers have made the tiniest organic laser reported to date. The 8-micrometer-long, 440-nanometer-wide device, which looks like a suspended bridge riddled with holes, is carved into a silicon chip coated with an organic dye. Integrated into microprocessors, such tiny lasers could one day speed up computers by shuttling data using light rather than electrons. The new organic laser is optically pumped—that is, powered by pulses from another laser. But it has a very low threshold—the energy required to start lasing—of 4 microjoules per square centimeter. The low threshold brings the device closer to engineers' ultimate goal of creating an organic laser that can run on electric current, which would be key for on-chip use.

22 comments

  1. Now we need by rossdee · · Score: 4, Funny

    ultrasmall sharks

    1. Re:Now we need by Hsien-Ko · · Score: 1

      with frickin' laser beams

    2. Re:Now we need by davester666 · · Score: 1

      hello! tfa is saying we've made the lasers. now we just need to make the sharks to attach the lasers to.

      Or maybe since the laser is organic, we could gene-splice it into the shark. that would be awesome! powered by tiny generators driven by the shark moving through water.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    3. Re:Now we need by Matheus · · Score: 1

      Sorry couldn't shrink the sharks...

      SO we got you ill-tempered minnows instead! Really ferocious little things...

  2. GMO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But is it Gluten Free and non-GMO?

    1. Re:GMO by i+kan+reed · · Score: 2

      Apparently, yes. Gluten is a specific plant protein, it's not present in organic semiconductors. Which by the way, also contain no nucleic acids, thus are also not GMOs.

      Ikanreed-Honestly answering "humorous" rhetorical questions since whenever my regdate was

    2. Re:GMO by ClickOnThis · · Score: 1

      Apparently, yes. Gluten is a specific plant protein, it's not present in organic semiconductors. Which by the way, also contain no nucleic acids, thus are also not GMOs.

      That's good to know, 'cause I kant wait to eat them. :-P

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    3. Re:GMO by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      That's unfortunate.

      While these devices will probably have nutritional ratings similar to most "gluten free" snack chips (that is to say, 0 calories per serving), they typically come with a significant amount of heavy metals baked right in.

      Oh, and don't forget the arsenic.

      They probably wont taste very good either.

  3. power source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The new organic laser receives the same treatment as most attractive young women - they are optically pumped.

  4. wave vs particle by vencs · · Score: 1

    ...by shuttling data using light rather than electrons.

    in other words:

    ...by shuttling data using photons rather than electrons.

    1. Re:wave vs particle by sehlat · · Score: 1

      http://www.the-whiteboard.com/...

  5. Seriously. by ericloewe · · Score: 1

    "Ultrasmall" is not a word.

    "Ultra-small" or "ultra small" are better, but sound way too stupid.

    "Extremely small", "smallest yet" are better alternatives.

    1. Re:Seriously. by MildlyTangy · · Score: 1

      "Ultrasmall" is not a word.

      "Ultra-small" or "ultra small" are better, but sound way too stupid.

      "Extremely small", "smallest yet" are better alternatives.

      Why does it matter?

      No, seriously, I would like to know why it matters enough to whingepoast.

    2. Re:Seriously. by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      Ultrasmall: A place where teenagers go to shop for ultras while being annoying.

  6. Am I the only one who read... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Engineers Build Ultrasmall ORGASMIC Laser

    Capcha: Solidify!

    1. Re:Am I the only one who read... by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      I think so...

      Though I do find the many ways that such devices can stimulate (in a very broad range of ways) to be very amusing given your particular Freudian issue there. ;P

  7. Re: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This will go great with my gluten free jetpack.

  8. My goldish ... by PPH · · Score: 2

    ... are giving me threatening looks.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  9. That's a _lot_ of power by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Four microjoules in a 100 fs pulse is actually quite a lot of power; scientists generally need very expensive optical amplifiers to reach this level of power. The laser required to pump this probably cost >$200,000. Just sayin', this is a little bit off the mark...

    1. Re:That's a _lot_ of power by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The threshold is 4uJ per square cm, so for some structure not much larger than the wavelength of light being dealt with, it is more like on the order of a couple photons.

  10. Organic lasers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good thing they are organic lasers since, you know, conventionally grown ones are laden with pesticides.