Semiconductor laser
0900202-187
[DEFINITION]
A laser that uses semiconductors as the medium of laser emission.
[DESCRIPTION]
The population inversion is initiated by forward biasing on PN junction
diode, and then electrons and holes join each other spontaneously with
coherent light emission. These devices are mainly fabricated with Ga and
As. Semiconductor lasers are more compact and efficient , and emit coherent
light more steadily than other type of gas lasers. So far they have been
used as light sources for optical telecommunications, micro-optical scanners,
and micro-optical encoders. Semiconductor lasers are also used as optical
energy sources to supply energy to micromachines without contact. The integration
of optics and micro-component is progressing through micromachining technology.
[References]
(49)(50)
[Related Terms]
Micromechano-optics