High Power Ingaasp-Based Laser Diodes

A growth technique adopted from the semiconductor industry combined with a new mixture of materials has made lifetimes in excess of 100 years possible for high-power near-infrared semiconductor lasers. This remarkable reliability and other attractive features may not only bring down the cost but also open up new dimensions in the laser markets and applications in human life, industry, and science.

by Manijeh Razeghi

Laser Micromachining

Lasers to machine micro-elements offer much promise. However, a number of hurdles must be overcome before these systems are widely used.

by Ferdinand von Alvensleben, Martin Gonschior, Heiner Kappel, and Peter Heekenjann

Cracking The Latin American Fiber Market

Coppock provides insight and advice on doing business abroad. As an example, he describes his experience with the Latin American telecommunications market.

by Ron Coppock

Strategies For Writing Effectively About Science And Technology

As science and technology increasingly affect our everyday lives, the lay public's need to understand science, and its applications, also increases. To function in today's society—to improve career options, to pursue higher education degrees, to make sound public policy decisions concerning the use and distribution of resources—lay people must grasp basic scientific and mathematical principles. But, according to critics, many scientists and science writers are not effectively communicating their messages. These critics, including best selling science fiction author Michael Crichton, complain that scientific writing often overwhelms readers with poor grammar, vague scientific jargon, cumbersome sentence structure, and unimaginative style. It's no wonder lay people balk at the thought of reading scientific journals or textbooks and, consequently, distance themselves from the subject.

by David D. Herring