Russian scientists have developed a nanolaser that operates in the blue part of the spectrum. Its dimensions are only 150–190 nanometers, that is, it is comparable to viral particles. The details were revealed at the Center for Scientific Communication of MIPT.
What is unique about the lasers created in Russia
According to the developers, miniaturization of lasers is one of the key tasks of modern science. Scientists around the world are trying to reduce emitters to sizes where they can be integrated into integrated circuits and other compact devices.
But creating such lasers is a difficult task. As the size decreases, the efficiency of lasers drops sharply. This problem has already been solved for red, green and ultraviolet lasers, but not for blue lasers. This is what hindered the development of ultra-high resolution laser displays, virtual reality glasses and other advanced technologies.
How nano light sources were developed
The solution was found by Russian physicists under the leadership of Professor Sergey Makarov of ITMO University. They used cube-shaped nanocrystals, similar in structure to the rare mineral perovskite — a material with suitable properties for lasers.
Scientists managed to grow such crystals with a size of 150–190 nanometers and place them on a special silver substrate, which enhances the generation of radiation.
Experiments have shown that inside this "cube" the laser works in an unusual way — due to quasiparticles-polaritons. Such polariton lasers require significantly less energy than traditional ones, which made it possible to create such a compact device without the need for ultra-powerful pumping.
So far, the laser only works at very low temperatures — about minus 193℃. However, scientists are confident that further experiments with perovskite nanocrystals will help overcome this limitation.
Where the new development can be applied
Such developments can become the basis for new technologies — from biomedical imaging to optical data storage. For example, they are suitable for creating ultra-compact optical signal sources and performing optical calculations directly on the chip — that is, transmitting and processing data using light, not electricity.
At the same time, lasers can be used as accelerators for electronic processors in artificial intelligence systems.