# Frickin' Lasers Just Got Better. Now We Need Improved Frickin' Sharks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 24, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frickin-lasers-just-got-better-now-we-need-improved-frickin-sharks/478515 "2008-12-24T06:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frickin-lasers-just-got-better-now-we-need-improved-frickin-sharks/478515/1 "2008-12-24T06:12:42Z")
[Mutated sea bass with lasers just don’t sound as cool.](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222122609.htm) > [@](#): > > A Princeton-led team of researchers has discovered an entirely new mechanism for making common electronic materials emit laser beams. The finding could lead to lasers that operate more efficiently and at higher temperatures than existing devices, and find applications in environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. > > “This discovery provides a new insight into the physics of lasers,” said Claire Gmachl, who led the study. Gmachl, an electrical engineer, is the director of the Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE) center. The phenomenon was discovered in a type of device called quantum cascade laser, in which an electric current flowing through a specially designed material produces a laser beam. Gmachl’s group discovered that a quantum cascade laser they had built generated a second beam with very unusual properties, including the need for less electrical power than the conventional beam. “If we can turn off the conventional beam, we will end up with a better laser, which makes more efficient use of electrical power,” said Gmachl. Yeah, I’d _hate_ for the sharks to get tired out from having to carry heavy battery packs around all the time.