Source/Type: CompoundSemi Online -- Compound Semiconductor Supply Chain News - Reported News

St. Andrews Researchers Created Organic Laser Powered by LED
Author: CompoundSemi News Staff

May 5, 2008... Researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, have created a visible organic laser that can be tuned to any color of the rainbow. The researchers pointed out that the laser is powered by a simple indium gallium nitride (InGaN) LED, rather than another laser, which was previously required for an organic laser. The physicists at St. Andrews contend that in addition to being more compact than previous organic lasers, they can be produced at a fraction of the cost.

Professor Ifor Samuel and Dr Graham Turnbull have used flexible plastic-like semiconducting materials to make a number of new innovations including a light-emitting sticking plaster for the treatment of skin cancer. According to the researchers, the technology could revolutionize point of care diagnosis and treatment. Professor Samuel said, "For over forty years visible organic lasers have required another laser to make them shine. We have now developed a low-cost, easy to make plastic laser, which converts the light from an LED (of the kind used in torches and traffic lights) into laser light. LEDs can be battery powered, and so this hybrid LED-laser approach can make very simple compact emitters. The lasers can give a variety of colors and are suitable for various applications such as spectroscopy or chemical sensing." The researchers findings are explained in the April 23 issue of Applied Physics Letters. Applied Physics Letters Abstract, St. Andrews University News Release

See the Current Industry News Summary
See this article in its orginal context, with the other current news from the same week