Chip-Scale Nanolaser Promises Faster, Greener Computing

DTU researchers have built a nanolaser inside a semiconductor membrane that concentrates light and electrons in a tiny nanocavity, enabling on-chip data transfer with photons instead of electricity. The technology could dramatically boost speeds and halve energy use once thousands of such sources are integrated on future chips; it currently operates at room temperature using light, with electrical powering and large-scale integration as next challenges. If resolved in 5–10 years, it could impact consumer devices, data centers, and high-precision sensors.