The pursuit of electrically-driven organic semiconductor lasers

Organic semiconductors have many favourable and plastic-like optical properties that are promising for the development of low energy consuming laser devices. Although optically-pumped organic semiconductor lasers have been demonstrated since the early days of lasers, electrically-driven organic lasers have not been realized and have become one of the greatest challenges in the fields of physics, chemistry and materials science. This article highlights the recent progress in the development of electroluminescent devices, as well as new types of materials with the aim of realizing the first electrically-driven organic semiconductor laser.