By Peter Weiss
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. 157: Available to subscribers at Silicon goes optical).