Chinese scientists have achieved a remarkable feat by creating an exceptionally bright laser that emits particles of sound rather than light. Described as the most potent “sound laser” to date, this innovation opens up a plethora of potential applications, according to New Scientist.
At the heart of this groundbreaking device lies a one-micrometre-long silica bead. Utilizing two beams of light, researchers from Hunan Normal University in China were able to levitate the bead and envelop it within a reflective cavity. Unlike conventional lasers that emit photons, these machines release particle-like chunks of sounds known as phonons.
The functionality mirrors that of optical lasers, emitting phonons in a narrow beam akin to how optical lasers emit photons. Any vibration in the bead within the “sound laser” generates phonons, which are subsequently amplified within the cavity before being emitted.
Lead researcher Hui Jing and his team made crucial modifications to the existing architecture, boosting the laser’s “brightness” – the amount of power it delivers – tenfold, as reported by New Scientist.
Prior designs of similar sound lasers could only sustain operation for a few minutes. However, the enhanced version developed by Mr. Hui’s team can function for over an hour.
Phonons exhibit less attenuation while traversing through liquids, making them particularly effective for imaging watery tissues and deep monitoring. Additionally, these particles find applications in optoelectronics, terahertz-frequency ultrasound, signal modulation, and nanoparticle manipulation.
Given their ability to emit sound in the terahertz frequency range, sound lasers can also be employed in airport scans to reveal concealed objects underneath clothing.
Also known as Sound Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (SASER), these “sound lasers” produce a beam of uniform sound waves on a nano scale. The first successful SASERs were developed in 2009, marking a significant advancement in laser technology.
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