This tiny laser could change the way we see and feel the world

A research team led by Associate Professor Johan Remensberger from the Department of Electronic Systems at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has developed a new type of laser designed to overcome many challenges found in current models.

“Our results could give us a new type of laser that is fast, relatively cheap, powerful, and easy to use,” says Remensperger.

The team’s findings were published in Nature photonics. The project is a collaboration between NTNU, the École Polytechnique de Lausanne (EPFL) and Luxtelligence SA.

Self-driving cars and air quality detectors

Traditional microlasers are often bulky, expensive, and difficult to adjust.

“Our new laser solves many of these problems,” says Remensperger.

This improvement could make the technology particularly useful in self-driving cars, which rely on a technology known as lidar to map their surroundings. Lidar works by measuring how long it takes light from a laser to bounce back, or by detecting small changes in the phase of a light wave. The new laser can make such measurements with remarkable accuracy, to within about four centimetres.

The researchers also demonstrated that their laser can effectively detect hydrogen cyanide gas in the air, a substance commonly referred to as “hydrocyanic acid.” Because this compound is highly toxic even in small amounts, the ability to quickly identify it is essential for safety and environmental monitoring.

Advanced materials, small-scale optical circuits

Researchers created the new laser with advanced materials and microscopic optical circuits.

The laser emits a powerful, stable beam of light. Another advantage is that users can easily adjust the frequency quickly and smoothly, without sudden jumps.

“You can also easily control it with just one control instead of many,” Remensperger points out.

The laser is designed using chip technology that is already available. This makes it possible to produce them in large quantities and inexpensively.

“Our findings make it possible to create small, inexpensive, easy-to-use measurement and communication tools with high performance,” Remensperger said.

The work was a collaboration between EPFL (experiments), Luxtelligence SA (chip production), and NTNU (design and simulation). It started when Remensperger was still a postdoctoral fellow at EPFL. The collaboration continues through an EIC Pathfinder OPEN grant called ELLIPTIC.