{"id":111287,"date":"2025-09-01T06:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T06:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/111287\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T06:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T06:22:09","slug":"laser-light-from-peacocks-florida-poly-student-research-finds-it-in-feathers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/111287\/","title":{"rendered":"Laser light from peacocks? Florida Poly student research finds it in feathers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Florida Polytechnic University student is attracting national attention through groundbreaking research revealing the presence of laser light from peacock feathers.<\/p>\n

Anthony Fiorito, a senior physics major at the Lakeland-based institution, is the first author of a study highlighted in leading publications such as Science, Ars Technica, Interesting Engineering and MSN. The study found that vibrantly colored tail feathers from peacocks include a special fluorescent dye, allowing them to emit precise laser light at specific and consistent colors.<\/p>\n

The research was initially published in the journal\u00a0Scientific Reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe attention has been surprising, but it\u2019s because the research is really cool,\u201d said Fiorito, who worked under the guidance of Nathan Dawson, associate professor of engineering and physics at Florida Poly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile people will not be building practical lasers out of peacock feathers anytime soon, we did prove the concept,\u201d Fiorito added. \u201cWe hope that our group and others may continue researching biological material for applications in lasers and optics.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While it seems niche, the discovery carries significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work reveals microscopic resonators in complex biological media, and identifying and exploiting such hidden structures could lead to advances not only in photonics but also in sensitive medical diagnostics, where detecting subtle structural changes matters,\u201d said Dawson, whose research focuses on laser emission and biological materials.<\/p>\n

Fiorito\u2019s interest in the research began as a freshman, when he requested to work with Dawson.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnthony was well-informed and eager to learn more, always pushing beyond the standard curriculum,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cHe is an exceptional student who shined in the lab with his diligence and unbiased approach to data.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he finishes his undergraduate studies, Fiorito plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnthony is a rock star. His contributions have been outstanding, and I expect great things from him,\u201d Dawson said.<\/p>\n

Co-authors on the paper also include Florida Poly lab technician David Sheffield; Hengzhou Liu, visiting assistant professor of physics; and Erfan Nasirzadeh Orang, a student at Youngstown State University in Ohio.<\/p>\n


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