KAIST researchers, led by Professor Han-Seok Lee, in collaboration with teams from the Australian National University, Yale University, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Ningbo University, have successfully implemented a high-performance Brillouin laser in the mid-infrared range on a small semiconductor chip. Brillouin lasers produce stable, low-noise light through interactions between light and sound waves. While they have been realized in visible and near-infrared ranges, their application in the mid-infrared was challenging due to material absorption and optical losses. The team developed a novel method to shape chalcogenide glasses, which have high transparency in the mid-infrared, into high-quality optical resonators. They also quantitatively analyzed and reduced optical losses, achieving a high-performance chip with losses only one-thirtieth of previous devices. This breakthrough could enable precise molecular analysis and control of chemical reactions using light.

* Article source : https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250331121500063