Cooler Silicon Lasers Via Energy Harvesting 31
Light Licker writes "UCLA researchers have developed a way to cut power use and heat output from a silicon laser used for optoelectronics. Both have been problems because silicon absorbs too much light — producing high-energy free electrons that make heat. One of Intel's best silicon lasers produced 125 times more heat than usable light. The UCLA team added a diode to their laser which can harvest free electrons and use them to help power the circuit — simultaneously cutting heat output and power use."
Innovation (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Not expected? (Score:5, Insightful)
"It's a very clever approach," says Philippe Fauchet, an applied physicist at the University of Rochester in New York State. "I did not expect it at all, which is always a nice surprise."
An applied physicist "didn't expect" that an electric field would move the free electrons out of the way?
"Wide variety" (Score:3, Insightful)
"You've got questions, we've got Blank Stares"