Yokohama National University researcher Toshihiko Baba and colleagues said the overall device has a width of several microns, while the part of the device that actually produces laser light has dimensions at the nanometer scale in all directions.

The laser uses only 1 microwatt of power, achieving one of the smallest operating powers ever reported.

The researchers said their nanolaser design should be useful in miniaturized circuits containing optical devices.

The research appears in the journal Optics Express.