Laser Breakthroughs
Novel Laser Type
Electrically pumped phonon laser for surface acoustic waves (SAWs).
A chip sized device that generates coherent vibrations (phonons) like a laser generates light.
Smaller, faster, more efficient wireless chips for smartphones and GPS.
Quantum Tech Lasers
Wavelength tuned Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) diode lasers.
Expanded wavelength to 614 nm, enabling the reset of barium ion qubits. Barium ion qubits are trapped, charged barium atoms used to store and process quantum information. They are considered a leading candidate in trapped ion quantum computing due to their favorable atomic properties
Advances in building stable, scalable quantum computers.
Large Scale Quantum Sensing
MAGIS-100 atom interferometer laser system at Fermilab.
A completed laser lab for the world's largest vertical atom interferometer (100m tall).
For detecting dark matter and gravitational waves.
Advanced Laser Science
First creation of complex, multi-polarization light beams at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths.
New methods for studying materials and next generation computer chips.
Lasers for Quantum Computing: The Ferdinand Braun Institut (FBH) recently pushed GaAs-based lasers to a precise 614 nm wavelength. This specific colour is needed to reset qubits made from barium ions, a critical step for quantum processors.
Lasers to Probe the Universe: At Fermilab, construction of the laser lab for the MAGIS-100 experiment was completed in early 2026. This system will use precisely timed laser pulses to manipulate falling atoms in a 100 meter shaft, creating an ultra-sensitive 'atom interferometer' to search for dark matter.
Exotic Light for Material Science: Researchers at SLAC used a free electron laser in Italy to create a stable Poincaré beam at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths for the first time. This complex beam can capture multiple material properties in a single pulse, offering a new tool for studying fast changing materials.
Pushing Power and Efficiency: There is a continuous drive for higher power and better efficiency. For example, new direct diode laser concepts achieve 1 kW of power with 50% efficiency for industrial 3D printing.
Extreme Miniaturisation: Lasers are being made smaller and more robust. Examples include 'micro-integrated' laser modules for quantum experiments on the International Space Station and optical isolators smaller than 0.5 ml.
Integration and New Materials: The field is moving towards photonic integrated circuits (PICs), where laser components are built on a single chip. There is also work with new materials like bondable diamond for heat management and 3D-printed ceramics for ultra-compact quantum sensors.
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Phonon Laser
Generation of coherent phonons (sound/vibration particles) using a single chip layered semiconductor device.
This extends the physics of laser light (coherent photons) to create coherent vibrations on a chip. Published in Nature (Jan 2026).
Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Laser (PCSEL)
Uses a 2D photonic crystal structure as the laser cavity to control light emission.
This uses a 2D photonic crystal structure as the laser cavity to control light emission.
Overcomes limitations of traditional semiconductor lasers by integrating the resonator into the semiconductor, enabling high power, high quality beams from a compact source.
Phonon Laser Applications in Electronics
Ultra-Compact Wireless Devices. Replaces multi-chip SAW filter systems with a single, integrated chip.
Smaller smartphones, longer battery life, and faster data speeds (moving beyond 4 GHz limits).
Advanced On-Chip Signal Processing.
Provides a high-power, coherent SAW source for integrated acousto-optic systems (e.g. modulators, frequency shifters).
Enables complex signal routing and processing directly on photonic chips for computing and communications.
High-Frequency Sensors & Microfluidics.Generates SAWs at frequencies into the tens of GHz, with a path to 100+ GHz, in a miniaturized format.
More sensitive chemical/biological sensors and precise manipulation of microscopic particles in lab-on-a-chip devices.
Quantum Phononic Interfaces. Creates a coherent phonon source for controlling quantum systems (like spin qubits).
Could interconnect different quantum systems (e.g. superconducting qubits to spin memories) using phonons as a 'quantum bus'.
Topological Lasers
The core idea involves designing laser cavities based on topological photonics, where light is guided along the boundaries or interfaces of specially engineered materials. The goal is to create lasers that are inherently robust against fabrication defects and disorder, which could lead to more reliable and efficient on chip light sources.