Issues

The dazzling information‐carrying capacity of light guided within fine, light‐weight glass fibers is opening new vistas in signal processing, information display and communication.

The central component of a lightwave communication system is a fiber no thicker than a human hair, accurately formed of high‐purity glass, with low dispersion and losses as low as 1 dB per kilometer.

Light‐emitting diodes are simpler to construct, while heterojunction lasers produce lower dispersion and couple to fibers more efficiently; both types have now been operating for well over one year.

Improved stability and efficiency, obtained by miniaturizing optical components and mounting them on a common substrate, will benefit the communications field and other areas of technology.

Sixteen years after the achievement of lasing action in ruby, engineers and manufacturers will exchange the latest in lasers and electro‐optical systems.