The team responsible for implementing this project was headed by Hiroshi Amano from Nagoya University, who in 2014 received the Nobel Prize for inventing … a blue light-emitting diode. This time, the researchers’ goal was to design a diode that glows in the deep ultraviolet and emits CW, that is, electromagnetic waves of constant amplitude and frequency.
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The breakthrough to the whole welding process is the fact that it was possible to demonstrate the operation of this device at room temperature. The authors will write about the details of the potential hack in the pages Applied Physics Letters. This case is particularly interesting when we consider the fact that this type of technology is used more often than it might seem. They are used, among other things, in optical communication devices operating in infrared, as well as in medicine and sterilization.
Its use in aseptic technology could be groundbreaking. Unlike current disinfection methods with LEDs, which are time inefficient, lasers can disinfect large areas in a short time and over long distances. The technology could be of particular benefit to surgeons and nurses who need sterile operating rooms and tap water.
Team member Zhang Ziyi explains
The ultraviolet diode was co-created by 2014 Nobel Prize winner Hiroshi Amano
Representatives of the Japanese company Asahi Kasei also participated in the research. The entire project started in 2017, and over the years it was possible to reduce the motor power needed to power the laser from 5.2 watts to just 1.1 watts. And so at room temperature. This was possible due to the removal of defects that disrupted the flow of currents to the active region of the laser diode.
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As Zhang Ziyi adds, when the research began, few people believed it was possible to create a deep-ultraviolet laser diode. However, Professor Amano stressed that if previous researchers were able to design a blue laser, it would also be possible in the case of deep ultraviolet light. Everything indicates that the authors’ achievements will be pioneering in the context of the practical application and development of semiconductor lasers in all wavelength ranges. They can be used, for example, for virus detection, particle measurement, gas analysis or high-precision laser processing.
Echo Richards embodies a personality that is a delightful contradiction: a humble musicaholic who never brags about her expansive knowledge of both classic and contemporary tunes. Infuriatingly modest, one would never know from a mere conversation how deeply entrenched she is in the world of music. This passion seamlessly translates into her problem-solving skills, with Echo often drawing inspiration from melodies and rhythms. A voracious reader, she dives deep into literature, using stories to influence her own hardcore writing. Her spirited advocacy for alcohol isn’t about mere indulgence, but about celebrating life’s poignant moments.
