Germanium Laser is the Latest Light Technology to be Unveiled
The materials in lasers can be expensive and difficult to work with. A discovery at MIT may be changing all of that much sooner than we think as germanium laser technology is here and it is very real. The beauty of this latest technology is that there isn’t even a large call to change manufacturing specs as they exist because germanium can easily be incorporated into designs that are already in place.
Light technology is nothing new. In fact, it seems to be stealing all of the headlines these days. The scientific community is quickly figuring out that the sun can be used for a lot more than just heating up homes and powering cars. Light can be a very powerful resource if it is used properly. Researchers have been making great strides in many different areas regarding this kind of technology and the recent proving of indirect-band-gap semiconductors yielding practical lasers has everyone sitting up and taking notice.
A challenge that is being realized as computers and other electronic devices become more advanced is that the communication process is getting to the point that current technology is holding back advancements. Data is being streamed faster and faster and as the possibility of that rate increases, a new transfer of that data is going to have to be created.
This is where germanium laser technology has the chance to truly make a name. Instead of transporting date in manners that we now consider to be the norm, date transfer via laser beam would be more power efficient and much cheaper than turbo-charging the devices as they are now. Because of the speed and power that is needed, the cost of everything would go dramatically up if a different solution is not found.
For all of this to fall into place, germanium will now have to be integrated into the manufacturing process of lasers. What we would consider a standard laser today would be a very challenging fit to use for purposes such as this. However, by creating a germanium laser, the entire makeup of everything is changed and a laser beam that transfers data in now a reality.
Before anyone gets too excited, there is still progress to be made. Just like other earth-shattering discoveries that have been announced over the last few weeks, this process is hardly efficient enough to deliver on what is anticipated. That day will surely come though as the groundwork has been laid and it is now just a matter of the researchers fine tuning the process.
