Revolutionizing Optoelectronic Devices with Atomic-Scale Spin-Optical Lasers

Researchers at the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology have developed a coherent and controllable spin-optical laser based on a single atomic layer. This achievement paves the way for studying coherent spin-dependent phenomena in both classical and quantum regimes, opening new horizons in fundamental research and optoelectronic devices that exploit both electron and photon spins. The laser is constructed using a photonic spin lattice that supports high-Q spin-valley states through the photonic Rashba-type spin splitting of a bound state in the continuum. The researchers used a WS2 monolayer as the gain material, which possesses unique valley pseudospins, enabling active control of spin-optical light sources without the need for magnetic fields.