In a groundbreaking development poised to redefine the landscape of photonics and laser technology, researchers have unveiled a novel ultraflat white laser source that spans an extraordinary 7-octave range, from the deep ultraviolet at 200 nm to the far-infrared at 25,000 nm. This unprecedented laser system, delivering millijoule-level pulse energies, represents a quantum leap in spectral coverage and energy output, promising to unlock a bewildering array of applications across scientific research, medical diagnostics, and industrial processing.
At the heart of this advancement is the ability to generate an ultrabroadband emission that remains remarkably uniform in intensity across its entire spectrum—a feature described as “ultraflat.” Traditionally, broadband sources struggled to maintain spectral flatness when covering extreme ultraviolet (UV) through mid- and far-infrared (IR) regions simultaneously. This complex challenge stems from material dispersion, nonlinear propagation effects, and the intrinsic gain profiles of conventional laser media. The newly reported platform overcomes these constraints through ingeniously engineered nonlinear optical processes inside novel materials, delivering an unprecedented continuous spectrum of white light.
The laser’s vast operational bandwidth envelops seven octaves, a scale hitherto unseen in coherent light generation. By comparison, most supercontinuum lasers cover just two to four octaves, often limited to visible or near-infrared ranges. Extending spectral coverage deep into the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and the long-wavelength IR domain expands the possibilities for high-resolution spectroscopy, environmental sensing, and materials characterization, where accessing multiple molecular fingerprints across broad wavelengths is critical.
Achieving millijoule (mJ) energy output marks another transformative milestone for ultrabroadband sources. Conventional supercontinuum generation methods typically yield pulse energies in the nanojoule to microjoule regime, insufficient for demanding applications like nonlinear microscopy or high-field physics. The reported mJ-class pulses dramatically enhance interaction efficiencies, enabling precision nonlinear optical experiments and fostering ultrafast dynamics studies within previously unreachable temporal and spectral regimes.
Crucially, the work integrates advanced pulse shaping and dispersion management techniques to maintain structural coherence and spectral flatness. Phase distortions and temporal jitter—which can degrade spectral quality—are effectively suppressed. This meticulous control ensures that the spatial, temporal, and spectral properties of the laser pulses remain stable and reproducible, an essential requirement for practical deployment in scientific and industrial environments.
The technological leap achieved here rests upon the strategic orchestration of multiple nonlinear processes, such as high harmonic generation, four-wave mixing, and optical parametric amplification, across meticulously selected laser crystal media. This synergistic approach orchestrates a cascade effect, broadening the spectrum while selectively amplifying spectral regions to preserve flat intensity distribution. Such a method represents a paradigm shift from traditional single-material or single-process supercontinuum generation.
Applications touching biomedicine stand to gain significantly from this laser breakthrough. Ultrafast pulses spanning UV to far-IR wavelengths can target and excite biological chromophores and molecular bonds with surgical precision. This enables highly sensitive fluorescence imaging, label-free diagnostics, and real-time molecular fingerprint detection, offering new pathways for early disease detection and personalized medical therapies without invasive procedures.
Environmental monitoring and remote sensing can similarly benefit. The expansive spectral reach allows simultaneous detection of multiple pollutants and greenhouse gases with unmatched sensitivity. The combined spectral and energetic capabilities promise improvements in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), atmospheric lidar systems, and multispectral gas detection technologies, facilitating real-time, on-site monitoring with unparalleled accuracy.
From a materials science perspective, the ability to probe wide wavelength ranges unlocks unique insights into complex molecular structures and dynamic phase transitions. Ultrafast broadband pulses can characterize electron-phonon interactions, unravel conduction pathways, and explore emergent phenomena in quantum materials. This could accelerate the design of next-generation semiconductors, superconductors, and metamaterials tailored for specific optical or electronic functionalities.
Industrial sectors such as ultrafast machining and precision metrology will also reap benefits from this development. The mJ-level pulse energies combined with the ultrabroad spectral content enable efficient ablation, surface structuring, and subwavelength-scale fabrication of materials that are otherwise difficult to process. Simultaneously, the exceptional coherence opens new horizons in interferometric measurements and optical coherence tomography with far exceeding resolution and depth.
From a fundamental physics viewpoint, the synthesis of a stable, ultraflat white laser sweeping an unprecedented spectral expanse opens avenues for exploring light-matter interactions in extreme conditions. High-field laser physics, strong-field ionization studies, and quantum control experiments all require precisely controlled broadband sources with high energies. This laser system can probe nonlinear regimes and transient phenomena with newfound clarity and temporal precision.
The experimental realization demanded extensive innovations across laser engineering, nonlinear optics, and materials science. Precise fabrication of phase-matched nonlinear crystals with minimal absorption ensured efficient spectral broadening and amplification. Moreover, advanced temperature stabilization and feedback control mitigated thermal effects that traditionally limit power scaling and output stability in broad-spectrum lasers.
Looking forward, the researchers anticipate further enhancements in beam quality and repetition rate while exploring miniaturization strategies for integration into commercial systems. Emerging applications in telecommunications, quantum computing, and ultrafast spectroscopy could be revolutionized by readily deployable ultraflat white lasers of this caliber, pushing boundaries in data transmission, quantum control, and chemical dynamics monitoring.
Public and private sector collaborations around this laser platform are expected to accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into real-world devices. The confluence of ultrabroad bandwidth, high-energy pulses, and spectral uniformity poses new capabilities for defense, space exploration, and advanced manufacturing industries, reinforcing photonics as a cornerstone technology for the 21st century.
In summary, the successful creation of a millijoule-level, seven-octave-spanning ultraflat white laser constitutes a monumental stride in laser science, combining unprecedented spectral breadth with substantial pulse energy and spectral flatness. Such a source enables multifaceted applications across scientific disciplines and industrial domains, heralding a new era of coherent broadband light engineering with transformative potential spanning medicine, environmental science, fundamental physics, and beyond.
This remarkable achievement, detailed in the latest issue of Light: Science & Applications, is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and advanced optical engineering. As researchers continue to refine and deploy this technology, the frontiers of what can be observed, manipulated, and understood through light will expand dramatically, catalyzing discoveries that could fundamentally reshape our technological and scientific landscape.
Article Title:
mJ-level 7-octave ultraflat white laser encompassing 200–25,000 nm.
Article References:
Hong, L., Feng, R., Liu, Y. et al. mJ-level 7-octave ultraflat white laser encompassing 200–25,000 nm. Light Sci Appl 15, 72 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02142-z
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02142-z
