Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The University of Hong Kong, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), City University of Hong Kong and Nankai University recently developed a new 3D printing technology for perovskite nanolasers that can be densely integrated onto semiconductor chips - capable of processing information in spaces thinner than a human hair.
Conventional semiconductor manufacturing techniques, such as lithography, excel at mass-producing identical structures but have key drawbacks: they are complex, costly, and limit design flexibility in shaping or positioning devices. Furthermore, most traditional lasers are built as flat, horizontal structures on a substrate, which occupy significant space and experience reduced efficiency due to light leakage. To overcome these challenges, the researchers engineered a method to vertically stack perovskite nanostructures, forming pillar-shaped vertical nanolasers that achieve both compactness and optical efficiency. The printing process precisely controls attoliter-scale ink droplets using an applied voltage, enabling direct, on-demand fabrication of high-performance nanostructures without complex subtractive steps.
A key advancement of this technology is the ability to produce perovskite nanostructures with exceptionally smooth surfaces and near single-crystalline quality. By integrating a gas-phase crystallization control technique, the team significantly improved the material’s optical properties, resulting in stable, high-efficiency vertical nanolasers with minimal light loss.
The researchers also demonstrated color tuning of the laser emission by adjusting the height of the printed nanostructures. This tunability enabled the creation of laser security patterns invisible to the naked eye but detectable by specialized equipment - demonstrating strong potential for anti-counterfeiting and security applications.
The University of Hong Kong's Professor Jitae Kim emphasized the importance of the result: “This technology enables the direct, high-density integration of perovskite-based optical computing semiconductors on a chip without complex processing. It will accelerate the commercialization of ultra-high-speed optical computing and next-generation security technologies.”
