Peacock Feathers: How They Generate Laser Light

Researchers have discovered that peacock feathers can generate laser light due to the microscopic reflective structures they possess.

According to an article in Science Magazine, the researchers dyed the feathers and activated them with an external light source, discovering that they emitted narrow beams of yellow-green laser light. The study was published in Scientific Reports.

Matjaž Humar, a biophotonics researcher, called the study "innovative and inspiring."

Nathan Dawson, a physicist at Florida Polytechnic University, and his colleagues found that the microstructures in the feathers can act as a laser cavity.

The study demonstrates how biological materials could be used to create lasers that could be safely placed in the human body for biosensors, medical imaging, and therapeutic methods.

Source: ΚΥΠΕ