Stevens Researchers Develop Method to Optically Modulate Frequency of Lasers

Researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology are devising a high-speed solution for transmitting information through free spaces using lasers.

The system will have the ability to overcome the limitations of fiber optics. It has been predicted that satellites will soon employ laser technology to deliver high-speed internet access for the public and to carry out mobile military operations using scanners of high-sensitivity.

Applied Physics Letters published a paper with the title, "Optically induced fast wavelength modulation in a quantum cascade laser" which was later listed in Nature Photonics. Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering Physics in Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Rainer Martini, has developed a high-speed communications technology that does not require the use of any physical conductor.

Dr. Martini desires to widen the reach into the terahertz band. One of the primary challenges faced by Dr. Martini and his team involves optically-induced modulation of lasers. Researchers have to optically modulate a laser beam for sustaining huge-volume data transmission. Dr. Martini’s team has formulated a method to optically modulate the frequency of lasers and to establish a distortion-free signal that remains unaffected due to environmental conditions.