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Nature 447, 385-386 (24 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/447385a; Published online 23 May 2007

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Laser technology: Less excitement for more gain

Todd D. Krauss1

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In theory, semiconductor nanocrystals are highly suitable laser materials, not least because the colour of their light is tunable over a wide range. In practice, they are difficult — but not impossible — to deal with.

At the heart of any laser is a material that, when 'pumped' by an external energy source, amplifies a light beam. Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are particularly promising materials for a new and improved generation of lasers, but attempts over the past decade to construct efficient lasers out of them have proved frustrating: optical amplification was observed only under the most extreme and impractical of pumping conditions1.

  1. Todd D. Krauss is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Box 270216, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, USA.
    Email: krauss@chem.rochester.edu

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