Hair-Width LEDs May Replace Lasers

New microLED design improves efficiency and beam directionality, enabling potential replacements for lasers in data centers and displays.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a new micro-light-emitting diode (microLED) design that is just the width of a human hair and could potentially replace lasers in a variety of applications, from data transmission in server racks to powering next-generation displays. The redesigned microLEDs achieve higher optical output, reduced beam divergence, and significantly improved electrical and wall-plug efficiency compared to conventional microLED designs.

Why it matters

As cloud computing and AI continue to expand, data centers must transmit massive volumes of information quickly and efficiently. Even incremental improvements in light sources like microLEDs can have significant economic impact by reducing heat, improving reliability, and lowering energy use compared to lasers. Additionally, the versatility of microLEDs means they could enable brighter and thinner displays as well as advancements in augmented and virtual reality.

The details

The new microLED design, developed by a team led by UC Santa Barbara doctoral student Roark Chao, features lateral enclosure of the emitting region with distributed Bragg reflectors. This approach resulted in roughly 20% higher optical output through air-side emission, more than 130% higher output through the substrate side, and about 30% reduced beam divergence compared to reference devices. The team also observed 35% higher electrical efficiency and 46% higher wall-plug efficiency, meaning the microLEDs convert significantly more power into usable light.

  • The research was conducted in the laboratories of the DenBaars/Nakamura and Schuller groups at UC Santa Barbara.

The players

Roark Chao

A doctoral student in electrical engineering at UC Santa Barbara who co-authored the study.

Steven P. DenBaars

A co-author on the study and Chao's co-advisor, focusing on gallium nitride research and optoelectronics at UC Santa Barbara.

Jon A. Schuller

A co-author on the study and Chao's co-advisor, focusing on nanoscale photonics at UC Santa Barbara.

Shuji Nakamura

A Nobel laureate and co-author on the study, known for his pioneering work on blue LEDs that transformed global lighting and display technologies.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're talking about devices that are literally the size of a hair follicle. If you can engineer how the light comes out, those microLEDs can start to replace lasers in short-distance data communication.”

— Roark Chao, Doctoral student, UC Santa Barbara (Mirage News)

“The big thing with lasers is that they start having thermal issues at relatively low temperatures. MicroLEDs can be driven much hotter without needing complex cooling. That means less replacement, less cost and more flexibility in data centers.”

— Roark Chao, Doctoral student, UC Santa Barbara (Mirage News)

“What's exciting about microLEDs is that they offer multiple solutions in one package. They can improve data communication, enable brighter and thinner displays, and even work for things like AR or VR — all using the same underlying technology.”

— Roark Chao, Doctoral student, UC Santa Barbara (Mirage News)

The takeaway

This research demonstrates the potential for microLEDs to disrupt a wide range of industries, from data centers to display technologies, by offering significant improvements in efficiency, directionality, and versatility compared to traditional laser-based solutions. The work highlights UC Santa Barbara's leadership in gallium nitride materials and optoelectronics, accelerating the path toward practical applications of this transformative technology.