Elusive Green Laser Is Missing Ingredient For Amazing Displays

Updated Feb. 13, 2008 12:01 a.m. ET

Imagine a projection-style TV that fits in your hand, but which can fill a whole wall with a full-color, high-resolution picture that's as bright as any you've seen. Or a light bulb an inch or two high that fills a room with pleasing white light, but without the heat and wasted energy of an incandescent bulb.

In terms of technology, we have two of the three things needed to make those happen. Already, there are efficient, inexpensive red and blue lasers. The former have been around as long as CDs, and blue lasers are now...

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