Abstract:A semiconductor laser contains a light‐amplifying gain medium and a miniature waveguide that confines the light to the laser cavity. With today's laser‐fabrication technology, one can integrate lasers with other active optical elements—such as detectors, optical amplifiers, optical modulators, and switches—on one semiconductor chip. The interconnections are miniature, transparent, passive waveguides that pipe light from one device to the next, playing a role similar to the metal lines that carry electricity in… Show more
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