The idea of computers communicating with light instead of electricity is moving closer to reality, thanks to a breakthrough nanolaser developed at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

Described in Science Advances, the device is small enough to be embedded by the thousands onto a single microchip. Instead of relying on electrical currents, which generate heat and slow performance, these nanolasers could transmit information using photons. This shift could dramatically increase processing speeds while reducing energy demands across everything from smartphones to massive data centers.

“The nanolaser opens up the possibility of creating a new generation of components that combine high performance with minimal size. This could be in information technology, for example, where ultra-small and energy-efficient lasers can reduce energy consumption in computers, or in the development of sensors for the healthcare sector, where the nanolaser’s extreme light concentration can deliver high-resolution images and ultrasensitive biosensors,” says DTU professor Jesper Mørk.