Bell Labs and Lucent Contributions to Laser Research

Since the concept of lasers was first published, Bell Labs has been in the forefront of laser research. Here are just a few of Bell Labs' recent contributions to the field since it became a part of Lucent Technologies.

Bell Labs Develops First Electrically Powered Organic Laser

Physicists at Bell Labs have developed the first electrically powered organic laser, a breakthrough that may lead to more widespread use of lasers in various applications.

(For more information, see First electrically powered organic laser may lead to more widespread use of lasers for various applications.)

First Triple Terabit Transmission Sets Long Distance Record

Scientists at Bell Labs have set the world's first long-distance triple-terabit data transmission, sending a record 3.28 terabits (trillion bits) of information per second over 300 kilometers of an experimental Lucent TrueWave® optical fiber.

(For more information, see Bell Labs Scientists Demo First Long Distance Triple Terabit Transmission.)

First 10-Channel Tunable Transmitter

Lucent's Microelectronics Group created the fiber-optic industry's first 10-channel tunable transmitter for both short- and long-haul high-speed optical networking systems, using electroabsorptive modulated laser (EML) technology pioneered at Bell Labs.

(For more information, see First 10-Channel Tunable Transmitter Based on Bell Labs EML Technology.)

1,022-channel laser

Pushing the frontiers of optical-networking technology, scientists from Bell Labs have set a new world's record -- transmitting data over 1,022 wavelengths, or colors, of light, through a single optical fiber -- with each wavelength carrying a distinct stream of information.

(For more information, see Bell Labs Uses Ultra-Dense WDM to Transmit 1,022 Channels over Fiber.)

First Bi-Directional Laser

Scientists at Bell Labs have built the world's first bidirectional semiconductor laser, a single device that does the work of two. The experimental light source may someday be used to detect pollutants in the atmosphere or to increase the capacity of lightwave communications systems.

(For more information, see Bell Labs Builds First Bi-Directional Laser.)

Data Record with VCSEL Laser

Bell Labs sets a new world's record for multimode fiber transmission, sending 10 gigabits of data per second over 1.6 kilometers of Lucent's new LazrSPEED multimode fiber for local area networks (LANs).

(For more information, see Bell Labs Uses VCSEL Laser to Send a Record 10 Gb/s over 1.6 km of LazrSPEED fiber.)

Highest Power Mid-IF QC laser

Scientists from Bell Labs have unveiled a new, experimental quantum-cascade (QC) laser with more than a thousand times the output power of any commercial semiconductor laser operating in the mid-infrared wavelength region.

(For more information, see Bell Labs Builds Highest-Power Mid-IF Semiconductor Laser.)

Multiwavelength QC laser

Scientists at Bell Labs have demonstrated the first semiconductor laser that can simultaneously emit light at multiple widely separated wavelengths in the invisible region of the spectrum, where most gases and vapors leave telltale light-absorption fingerprints. The new device could be used in pollution and environmental monitoring, industrial process control, and combustion and medical diagnostics.

(For more information, see Scientists Demo Hi-Power, Multi-Channel Semiconductor Laser.)

'Bow-Tie' Lasers

Using chaos theory, scientists from Bell Labs, Yale University, and the Max Planck Institute of Physics in Germany have demonstrated novel semiconductor microlasers that use "bow ties" of laser light to emit highly directional beams with more than 1,000 times the power of conventional, disk-shaped microlasers. The microlasers are so small that hundreds could fit on the head of a pin.

(For more information, see Bell Labs, Yale, Max-Planck Team Uses 'Bow Tie' Laser Light to Make Microlasers.)

206-Channel Lasers

Scientists at Bell Labs have made a 206 wavelength laser -- a single laser that can do the work of 206 lasers by generating light pulses -- each lasting just 100 millionths of a billionth of a second -- and using wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) to transmit the data over multiple wavelengths.

(For more information, see Bell Labs Scientists Use An Ultra-Fast Laser To Transmit Data Over 206-Wavelength Information Rainbow.)

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