How can tunable lasers contribute to society? This is what a recent study published in Optica hopes to address as an international team of researchers have developed a novel tunable semiconductor laser that provides enhanced capabilities compared to current tunable lasers, which are often unreliable and expensive. This study has the potential to develop more efficient tunable lasers that can provide a myriad of industrial and commercial applications.
For the study, the team built on past research regarding tunable lasers by constructing several ring-shaped lasers of various sizes that each emit light at different wavelengths. The researchers found that this design ensures stability and reliability under a variety of environmental conditions and size can be adjusted based on individual or technological needs. This design improves upon existing tunable lasers, specifically regarding color accuracy due to the myriads of wavelengths that light is emitted.
“By adjusting the size of the ring, we can effectively target any line we want, and any lasing frequency we want,” said Theodore Letsou, who is a PhD graduate student at Harvard University and a co-author on the study. “All the light from every single laser gets coupled through the same waveguide and is formed into the same beam. This is quite powerful, because we can extend the tuning range of typical semiconductor lasers, and we can target individual wavelengths using a different ring radius.”
Artist's rendition of the new tunable laser developed for this study. (Credit: Joshua Mornhinweg)
As noted, tunable lasers have a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications, including telecommunications, medicine, and quality assurance. Therefore, advancing tunable laser technology could provide advanced applications for the above industries, along with increasing the number of applications for tunable lasers.
How will tunable lasers contribute to society in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Optica, EurekAlert!
