It seems that soon, people might be able to shoot lasers out of their eyes like Superman and it’s all thanks to a new discovery made by a team of researchers at University of St. Andrews. Ocular lasers might soon become an everyday reality thanks to the creation of an ultra-thin membrane laser. It seems that organic semiconductors are the key to this incredible discovery. A lot of industries might one day profit from this development, including security and photomedicine. The journal Nature Communications has recently published the study that details these discoveries.
According to what the researchers are saying, it seems that their breakthrough discovery of membrane lasers is compatible with the human eye. This means that it can safely operate inside a human being without any issue at all. The team even demonstrated this by using a cow’s eye as a model system. The membrane lasers are very close to the fundamental limit when it comes to flexibility, thickness, and weight. Their mechanical flexibility is so impressive that the lasers can be placed on a contact lens as well as on a bank note.
Superman’s laser beams might soon become reality
According to professor Malte Gather, who was part of the research, in ancient times, Plato thought that “eye beams” were the main key to visual perception. Modern science and medicine has debunked his theory, but superheroes that shot lasers out of their eyes are still popular. The team of experts thinks that this discovery is nothing more than a way to prove that lasers can be used in a lot of areas. They can be placed in one’s eyes, as well as put on bank notes as an authentication feature.
This discovery comes as flexible organic optoelectronics are getting ready to be commercialized on a large-scale. The new membrane lasers are also part of that family of ultra-thin and flexible devices.
Image source: maxpixel