An assistant professor of physics and astronomy and one of his students invented a new laser that could be used for optical technology, industry and medicine.
In 2010 Muhammad Maqbool and Kyle Main, now alumnus, started working on semiconductor ring laser and succeeded in inventing the first one in pure titanium.
Maqbool said his laser is the smallest semiconductor ring laser ever created. It got its name because it was created in a ring shape with a titanium material and was deposited around a very small optical fiber and it goes round like a ring.
“This laser can work to diagnose any tumor or cancer cell deep inside the body, kill the tumor locally without damaging other cells,” he said.
He said he thought of creating the laser even before coming to Ball State, but here he finally succeeded in his goal.
“I spent days and night, didn’t sleep to pour continuously liquid nitrogen to keep the temperature down and keep the material amorphous,” Maqbool said.
Main said they haven’t begun the biological phase of their experiment yet.
“The reason behind not doing any biological experiment is because we are still waiting for the last stage of the patent,” Maqbool said. “Once the last stage of the patent is approved we will go and experiment it or give it to other companies to try it out.”
The laser is still just in its beginning stages, and it will to go through a few more steps before completion.
“We need to do more work,” Main said. “People need to investigate, change the dimensions of this laser.”
