Janelle Irwin Taylor
A Florida Polytechnic University student is attracting national attention through groundbreaking research revealing the presence of laser light from peacock feathers.
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.
The research was initially published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“The attention has been surprising, but it’s because the research is really cool,” said Fiorito, who worked under the guidance of Nathan Dawson, associate professor of engineering and physics at Florida Poly.
“While people will not be building practical lasers out of peacock feathers anytime soon, we did prove the concept,” Fiorito added. “We hope that our group and others may continue researching biological material for applications in lasers and optics.”
While it seems niche, the discovery carries significance.
“This 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,” said Dawson, whose research focuses on laser emission and biological materials.
Fiorito’s interest in the research began as a freshman, when he requested to work with Dawson.
“Anthony was well-informed and eager to learn more, always pushing beyond the standard curriculum,” Dawson said. “He is an exceptional student who shined in the lab with his diligence and unbiased approach to data.”
As he finishes his undergraduate studies, Fiorito plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics.
“Anthony is a rock star. His contributions have been outstanding, and I expect great things from him,” Dawson said.
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.
