Do you know which polished plumage contains a scintillating secret?! Zap!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
We know lasers from barcodes, surgeries… even cat toys! Human-made lasers usually rely on carefully engineered mirrors or crystals. But Anthony Fiorito the Third and team wondered: could nature’s own designs act as lasers too?
They soaked Indian peacock tail feathers in fluorescent dye and shone green light on them. Instead of simply glowing, the feathers’ microscopic structures concentrated energy into sharp laser beams.
This is the first proof that an animal’s feather can act as a natural laser. Its nano-blueprints could inspire cheaper designs, replacing today’s costly, resource-intensive fabrication.
Talk about fowl play with serious laser focus! Pew pew!
Reference: Fiorito, A., Sheffield, D. R., Liu, H., Nasirzadeh Orang, E., & Dawson, N. J. (2025). Spectral fingerprint of laser emission from rhodamine 6g infused male Indian Peafowl tail feathers. Scientific Reports, 15, 20938. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04039-8