China recently developed its first 5-8 micron wave band semi-conductor laser device, making China the second country after the United States capable of producing the device used in relaying telecommunications signals.

The device, developed by researcher Li Aizhen and her team at Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy under the Chinese Academy of Sciences after five years of hard work, is applicable in the fields of telecommunications, environmental protection and national security, said experts with the institute.

"This quantum cascaded laser device is indispensable high technology in the telecommunications industry for transmitting and receiving signals," said the experts.

They also developed a number of quality materials necessary for the device and established China's first emission spectrometric detecting system for medium-and far-infrared laser devices.