Professor Satoshi Iwamoto, in collaboration with a research group led by Professor Yohei Yamamoto at the University of Tsukuba and Assistant Professor Wenbo Lin at Tokyo University of Science, has demonstrated “Saturn’s rings”-like laser emission from microspheres with a vortex-like molecular orientation. This is the first study to demonstrate that, by utilizing the vortex-like molecular orientation formed on the surface of a sphere, it is possible to control the direction of light emission even within a spherical structure. Technology for controlling light within microscopic spaces is expected to play a crucial role in the development of next-generation optical devices, such as optical integrated circuits and localized sensors. The research paper was published in the online edition of the “Journal of the American Chemical Society” on June 8.