Engineers Build Ultrasmall Organic Laser

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Engineers Build Ultrasmall Organic Laser

Posted by Soulskill on Friday October 3, 2014 @08:34AM 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.

15 of 22 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Now we need by rossdee · 2014-10-03 08:37 · Score: 4, Funny

ultrasmall sharks
1. Re:Now we need by Hsien-Ko · 2014-10-03 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  with frickin' laser beams
2. Re:Now we need by davester666 · 2014-10-03 13:56 · 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 · 2014-10-03 22:25 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry couldn't shrink the sharks...
  SO we got you ill-tempered minnows instead! Really ferocious little things...
Re:GMO by i+kan+reed · 2014-10-03 08:54 · 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
Re:GMO by ClickOnThis · 2014-10-03 09:05 · 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.
power source by Anonymous Coward · 2014-10-03 09:10 · Score: 1

The new organic laser receives the same treatment as most attractive young women - they are optically pumped.
wave vs particle by vencs · 2014-10-03 09:25 · 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 · 2014-10-03 09:49 · Score: 1
  
  http://www.the-whiteboard.com/...
Seriously. by ericloewe · 2014-10-03 09:54 · 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 · 2014-10-03 10:16 · 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 · 2014-10-03 16:33 · Score: 1
  
  Ultrasmall: A place where teenagers go to shop for ultras while being annoying.
Re:GMO by wierd_w · 2014-10-03 10:56 · 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.
Re:Am I the only one who read... by wierd_w · 2014-10-03 11:04 · 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
My goldish ... by PPH · 2014-10-03 13:07 · Score: 2

... are giving me threatening looks.

--
Have gnu, will travel.