Laser diodes promise new age of Internet

A new laser device could make high-speed computing faster and more reliable, opening the door to a new age of the Internet.

Professor Dennis Deppe at the University of Central Florida has created miniature laser diodes that emit more intense light than those currently used.

The light emits a single wavelength, making it ideal for use in CD players, laser pointers and optical mice for computers, in addition to high-speed data transmission.

Until now, the biggest challenge has been the failure rate of these tiny devices. They don’t work very well when they face huge workload as the stress makes them crack, according to a Central Florida statement.

The smaller size and elimination of non-semiconductor materials means the new devices could potentially be used in heavy data transmission, which is critical in developing the next generation of the Internet.

By using the tiny lasers in optical clocks, the precision of GPS and high-speed wireless data communications too would increase.

“The new laser diodes represent a sharp departure from past commercial devices in how they are made,” Deppe said.

“The new devices show almost no change in operation under stress conditions that cause commercial devices to rapidly fail,” he added.