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IMAGE: Ring microlasers are eyed as potential light sources for photonic applications, but they first must be made more powerful. Combining multiple microlasers into an array solves only half of the. view more
Credit: University of Pennsylvania
The field of photonics aims to transform all manner of electronic devices by storing and transmitting information in the form of light, rather than electricity. Beyond light s raw speed, the way that information can be layered in its various physical properties makes devices like photonic computers and communication systems tantalizing prospects.
Before such devices can go from theory to reality, however, engineers must find ways of making their light sources lasers smaller, stronger and more stable. Robots and autonomous vehicles that use LiDAR for optical sensing and ranging, manufacturing and material processing techniques that use lasers, and many other applications are also continually pushing the field of phot
Paving the way for new light-powered devices By combining cutting-edge concepts from theoretical physics, researchers from Penn Engineering developed ‘sypersymmetric microlaser arrays’ that are both stable and have high power density.
The field of photonics involves the study of new ways to generate and harness light, akin to how many of the devices used in everyday life run on electric current. While photonic devices have the potential to transform the current technology paradigm through increased speed, efficiency, and information density, their broad application is limited by the size, strength, and stability of the light sources, often lasers, in these devices.