Technology that can freely change the color of nanolasers using graphene
Professor Park Hong-gyu's research team controls singularity of nano laser

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (Minister Choi Yang-hee) announced that “a technology that can freely change the color of nanolasers, which are small lasers the size of nanometers, has been developed by domestic researchers by utilizing the light-absorbing properties of graphene.”

Graphene is a material with a honeycomb-shaped structure made of carbon atoms of atomic size. It has excellent thermal conductivity, transparency, and elasticity, so it has a wide range of applications. However, it is known to be difficult to use in optical devices that utilize light because of its light-absorbing properties. A nanolaser is a laser that uses a device that traps light of tens to hundreds of nanometers in size.

▲ Measurement of singularity of photonic crystal nanolaser using graphene

Researchers are working hard to develop optical computers, which are future computers that operate at the speed of light. In order to process information, images, etc. with light, lasers that are small enough to be integrated into current electronic chips are needed, and research is constantly being conducted to utilize them. In the midst of this, research has revealed that graphene can freely change the color of small lasers that are nanometer-sized.

The research team positioned two nanolasers close together and covered only one laser with graphene to separate the part where light is lost from the part where light is generated. This was the first experimental observation of the physical phenomenon in which two colors of light change into one color of light.

Professor Hong-Gyu Park's research team (Korea University) conducted the research with the support of the Basic Research Project (Individual Research) of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the research was published in the December 21 issue of the world-renowned academic journal Nature Communications.

Professor Park Hong-gyu stated the significance of the research, saying, “This study is the first to discover that the singularity of a nano laser can be controlled using graphene. It is a new discovery of a physical phenomenon. It is expected to be applied to the development of future optical computers, etc., as it can effectively change the characteristics of laser light.”