Using inkjet printers to create lasers

BBC : Using a standard inkjet printer, researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, have developed a way to print liquid crystals on a specially treated polymer surface. As the surface dries, the liquid crystal molecules align, turning each drop into a small solid-state laser. The new process is much simpler than earlier ones, which usually entailed squeezing liquid crystals between specially coated glass plates to force them to align in a particular way. W.-K. Hsiao, one of the members of the research team, envisions the new technique being used in “smart wallpapers.” In a setting such as a museum, information about an exhibit or directions to emergency exits could be encoded in the wallpaper to help blind patrons who are given low-power scanners navigate the displays. Smart wallpaper could also be used for display or lighting purposes.