Low noise! Switzerland develops a new type of laser

According to foreign media reports, scientists from the Physics Research Institute and the Institute of Physics and the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland have made a new progress in the field of excitation science, developing a smaller and quieter laser system than previous products.

Small laser system (Image source: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne)

The team published their research findings in the journal Nature Photonics, introducing that the new laser system can be integrated into microcircuits in electronic devices, making it more cost-effective and multifunctional.

This new laser system has a wide range of potential applications and can transform various measuring equipment and systems, including advanced sensors indispensable for autonomous vehicle, aircraft and satellites, such as laser radar (LIDAR, light detection and ranging). Using smaller and quieter lasers in such sensors can create higher resolution images and models, providing more accurate data, which can be utilized by industries ranging from military to medicine to advance the development of technology in their respective fields.

Traditional lasers have always faced a challenge of high noise levels, which may seriously affect their performance. Laser noise may lead to reduced measurement accuracy and unreliable data, which is a critical flaw for fields that require extremely high precision.

This study suggests that laser systems may become smaller and quieter, potentially having a significant impact on precision instruments such as LiDAR. Lidar is used in various fields, and one of the most exciting applications is in the autonomous driving industry. By utilizing precision sensing technology, LiDAR can assist in real-time mapping of the surrounding environment of vehicles. This type of new, low noise, customized laser can greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of LiDAR systems, achieving safer autonomous driving. The versatility of such lasers also means that they can be easily integrated into the limited space of vehicles, thereby reducing the overall cost and complexity of the system.
This type of multifunctional laser can also affect future telecommunications technology, especially optical communication networks. More efficient and stable lasers can be converted into faster and more reliable Internet speeds and more stable data transmission.

Source: Yangtze River Delta Laser Alliance