October 27, 2004, Los Angeles, CA--Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have demonstrated the first silicon laser, which could lead to more effective biochemical detection, secure communications and defense against heat-seeking missiles.
"This development shows that despite popular belief, a laser can indeed be made on a silicon chip," said Bahram Jalali, professor of electrical engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, who led the research team.
"The lack of a silicon laser has been a major roadblock in the progress of silicon optoelectronics and photonics," said Jagdeep Shah, program manager of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), which funded the research. "The demonstration of a Raman laser in silicon has the potential to lead to new military applications in communications and sensing." Shah is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America.
"Demonstration of the silicon laser by UCLA researchers is a major breakthrough that can make optical wireless a reality," said Jamie Montgomery, CEO of Montgomery and Co., a California-based investment banking firm specializing in the technology sector. "This technology also has important applications in homeland security."