Cambridge University to Develop Microscopic Lasers

In the UK, Cambridge University was awarded approximately £2.4 million under the Basic Technology Research Initiative to develop microscopic lasers. Based on liquid crystals and light-emitting polymers, the lasers are expected to integrate features of dye, gas and diode lasers. They will be less than the width of a human hair and will be stable and emit very pure light because they will not hop from one mode of emission to another. The lasers will be tunable to any wavelength from the UV to the IR by sending an electric signal to them.

The devices are expected to have applications in such areas as medical science, telecommunications devices, and displays for televisions, computers and mobile phones.

The research project is a collaborative effort of the university’s departments of physics, engineering and chemistry.