Laser Landmark: Silicon device spans technology gap

In technologies ranging from compact disc players to the Internet, circuits that manipulate electrons operate alongside those that manipulate photons. In their quest for faster and less-expensive devices, engineers have wanted to integrate both types of circuits onto single silicon chips. However, silicon’s optical properties make such a feat difficult.

Now, researchers in California have made a laser from silicon, achieving an important step toward optoelectronic or even purely photonic chips of silicon (SN: 3/6/04, p.