Scientists have made significant progress in creating lasers that use sound waves instead of light. These phonon lasers promise breakthroughs in medical imaging, deep-sea exploration, and other fields. The new technology includes an electronic amplifier that greatly increases the power and sensitivity of the sound waves produced by the laser. This paves the way for future devices that can use sound for a wider range of applications.

Previously, phonon lasers made from small objects suffered from weak and faulty sound waves, limiting their usefulness. The new method overcomes this problem by essentially locking the sound waves into a more stable and powerful state.

The breakthrough paves the way for powerful, precise phonon lasers suitable for real-world applications such as medical imaging and deep-sea exploration. Phonon lasers could enable more sensitive and less invasive medical imaging techniques, while deep-sea probes could provide better communications and navigation.

Phonon lasers could also find applications in materials science, quantum computing and other fields. The research potentially opens up a range of new technologies. The results of the study, published in the journal eLight, represent a significant step in the development of phonon lasers.