BU to Develop Handheld UV Laser

Boston University professor Theodore Moustakas of the electrical and computer engineering department has received a $1.5 million, two-year subcontract from DARPA to help develop a handheld electron-beam-pumped semiconductor laser that would be the first to operate in the ultra-violet region. Because of its ultralow emission wavelength and compact size, it could be exploited for a wide range of defense and commercial applications, including non-line-of-sight communication in dense urban areas and other military theaters, via airborne particulates that propagate the signal; for identification of biological and chemical substances used in potential terror attacks; and for point-of-care chemical analysis of blood and other bodily fluids.