January 23, 2009

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The principle behind whispering galleries--where words spoken softly beneath a domed ceiling or in a vault can be clearly heard on the opposite side of the chamber--has been used to achieve what could prove to be a significant breakthrough in the miniaturization of lasers. Ultra-small lasers, i.e., nanoscale, promise a wide variety of intriguing applications, including super-fast communications and data handling (photonics), and optical microchips for instant and detailed chemical analyses.Full Story

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DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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