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Nature 453, 459-460 (22 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/453459a; Published online 21 May 2008

Laser technology: Over the rainbow

John M. Lupton1

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Many laser diodes provide light in only a limited range of the visible spectrum. A hybrid laser made out of plastic, driven by a high-power light-emitting diode, looks to offer a more flexible approach.

In the early days of semiconductor lasers, the choice of wavelengths was reminiscent of a famous Monty Python skit: it was a case of spam, spam or spam. The spectrum of available colours has since expanded impressively, but large gaps still exist, particularly at yellow wavelengths.

  1. John M. Lupton is in the Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
    Email: lupton@physics.utah.edu

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