II – VI semiconductors come of age

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Abstract
Long-distance fibre-optic communications, laser printers and compact disk players all depend on the same material and device technology – the semiconductor laser. These highly efficient sources are based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and related III–V ("three–five") compounds. They operate at infrared, and sometimes red, wavelengths but since the 1960s physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers have tried to extend these devices to shorter visible wavelengths. There are many potential applications for compact lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at blue and green wavelengths. Recent proposals include high-density optical memories and display devices, medical diagnostics, and communications through sea water and ice.

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