A new design for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) developed by a team including scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may hold the key to overcoming a long-standing limitation in the light sources' efficiency. The concept, demonstrated with microscopic LEDs in the lab, achieves a dramatic increase in brightness as well as the ability to create laser light—all characteristics that could make it valuable in a range of large-scale and miniaturized applications. Citations: [High-brightness lasing at submicrometer enabled by droop-free fin light-emitting diodes (LEDs)](https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/33/eaba4346)