Organic Diode Laser Goes Electric

Researchers at Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J., have produced an electrically driven organic solid-state laser. The device, which they described in the July 28 issue of Science, promises to lower production costs in optical storage and laser printing applications.

The laser is based on single crystals of the organic molecule tetracene, and the team used field-effect electrodes to improve electron and hole injection. While the experimental laser produced 575.7-nm light, the company hopes to be able to tailor the emissions from future devices to specific wavelengths.