UC Berkeley researchers tout world's smallest semiconductor laser
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 1st 2009 5:30PM
posted September 1st 2009 5:30PM
Scientists at the Norfolk State University may laid claim to a "world's smallest laser" title just a few short weeks ago with the aid of some newfangled "spasers," but it looks like the folks at UC Berkeley at hot on their heels with some tiny lasers of their own, and they've now announced what they claim to be the worlds smallest semiconductor laser. Unlike Norfolk State's solution, the Berkeley researchers apparently relied primarily on standard semiconductor materials and fabrication technologies commonly used today, but devised a new means to squeeze the visible light into a 5 nanometer gap (about the size of a single protein molecule), while also using some newly-engineered "hybrid surface plasmons" to keep the light from dissipating as it moves along. That, the researchers say, represents nothing short of a "new milestone in laser physics," and could pave the way for everything from new nanolasers that can probe, manipulate and characterize DNA molecules to new breakthroughs in computing that could see light replacing electronic circuitry "with a corresponding leap in speed and processing power."
[Via DailyTech]
Are we now one step closer to hologramic versatile disc? I'm waiting and waiting... and waiting... waiting...
*Holographic Versatile Disc
I think it's always been said they're a ways off. Every time I've seen anything about them they're always said to be a couple generations past blu-ray.
Your grand grand grand children might benefit from these technologies. If WW3 doesn't swipe them off the face of Earth, that is. If there will be WW3... hope not.
@Shinigami: Ramble on.
You know, if I received a penny every time I heard of these "breakthroughs", I would have enough money to invest in some of them by now xD
You might be owed another penny if EEStor doesn't deliver!
Gooooooo Bears!
I am surprised they came up with this in Bezerkeley, the only thing they are good is not working, smoking/dealing dope, and protesting everything under the sun. Berkeley full of loonies, drug fiends, ugly dykes, and hippies
Huh? Any university has the type of people you described. Doesn't mean everyone is like that. Even if so, so what? There have been and are many great minds who happened to smoke weed as well.
Buddy you are pretty ignorant. Now go wallow in self pity for not being able to get into UC Berkeley. I'm pretty sure the school is a world recognized center of academic and research excellence.
Go Bears!
It's also one of the best schools you can get into for Physical Chemistry/MatSci.
Several new elements and BSD. Now STFU.
First of all, I go to UC Bezerkeley, ME major. I hate that shit hole, one of the most crappiest places in the bay area. A school/city that claims to be so open and tolerant, is so FAR from it.
While I agree with you that the city leaves much to be desired(I lived there for a bit with my now-fiancee and hated it), I think you'll find it hard to say that the school that, as I said earlier, created several new elements as well as the BSD operating system, which OSX and parts of Windows are based on, hasn't accomplished anything.
Something tells me you went to Stanford.
@Techy: Something tells me you sucked and couldn't handle Berkeley. The environment at the school may not be the best but the accomplishments of the school and the individuals that attend the school far surpass your puny imagination and knowledge.
Well, technically he is mostly correct. Any Engineer will tell you that the non-Science part of UC Berkeley is essentially that, with the exception of Haas and Bolt. That being said, us Scientists more then prop up the UC Berkeley name enough to compete with Ivy League Schools. Ha! Take that Stanford, even with a handicap, we compete evenly with you.
@ Shyam D
Bingo!
It only because of us science and engineering majors, the school is considered "top notch". UC Bezerkeley/City of Bezerkeley can be a good city, if it wasnt for all the dead weight, lazy, imbeciles.
"...but it looks like the folks at UC Berkeley at hot on their heels with..."
or
"...but it looks like the folks at UC Berkeley are hot on their heels with..."
I see so many mistakes in Engadget's articles everyday. This doesn't surprise me. I think they need to do more proof reading ...
Go Bears!
That's all really.
UCB '10
Skimming through headlines on the main page and I swear I read "researchers tout world's smallest violin" although I haven't the slightest idea where I got the word "violin" from ...
it's playing just for you...
"with a corresponding leap in speed and processing power."
I've been hearing this same old line for years about all sorts of 'technological improvements'. By rights my computer should be 4000GHz by next year -_- /facepalm
That would technically be ~3.9-4.0 Terahertz, or THz.
I probably wouldn't have it for another decade or so, though — the computer I'm using right now is running Windows XP on 384MB (yes, MEGAbytes) of RAM, with a measly 700MHz AMD Duron processor, and I'm too poor to upgrade to anything better yet. :(
I wouldn't sweat it; I was using an IBM Slot1 P3-600 with 320MB RAM for ages. The slightest knock of the table would cause it to freeze or BSOD as the socket was so worn :( Bad times. Despite that it was remarkably usable for what it was; granted you'd have to do a few modifications to Windows to get the most out of it.
iPhone Killer.
spot on
Ah, so that's why they've been exploding.
Apple was right, it WASN'T their fault.
Pew! Pew!
This laser will defend Berkeley from picketers prone to making people live in backyards filled with blue tarp.
But can they mount it on a shark?
That's the whole idea, now baby sharks can have freakin lasers too!
I was listening to a story about this on NPR the other day. They were saying it could increase computer speeds a 1000 fold and since it can be built into today's computer architecture, we could see chips with these in a matter of a few years.
Light replacing electricity flowing through circuitboards? It will take me years to grasp the significance of this development.
Anyone want to throw me a bone? Is it just more energy efficent?
Electrons do not travel at the speed of light and light can be switched far faster than electicity can due to light's lack of hysteresis.
And negigible heat.
If you start switching a million tiny mirrors a million times a sec I'm sure it's going to become very hot very fast.
Roll On You Bears!