Bowers – Laser could "reshape the landscape of IP"

Researchers co-led by profs. K. Vahala (Caltech), John Bowers (ECE UCSB) and Q. Lin (U of R) set new milestones in this challenge

The project described in Nature Communications addresses the challenge with the first multi-color integrated laser that:

  • Emits high-coherence light at telecommunication wavelengths
  • Allows laser-frequency tuning at record speeds
  • Is the first narrow linewidth laser with fast configurability at the visible band

The technology "has the potential to reshape the landscape of integrated photonics" and it will pave the way for new applications of integrated semiconductor lasers in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) remote sensing that is used, for example, in self-driving cars. The technology could also lead to advances in microwave photonics, atomic physics, and AR/VR.

University of Rochester News Center "A laser that could ‘reshape the landscape of integrated photonics’" (full article)