Optoelectronics and Their Use

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Optoelectronics is a technology that combines light with electricity. Basically, it could be some type of hardware device that converts electrical signals into photon signals. This device could be one that converts electrical energy into optical or light. It could also be a device that works in the opposite way. In this case, it would work as a transducer. The heart of optoelectronics is the LED (Light Emitting Diode). Without the LED, there would be no output. No matter what technology is used, a light source is what’s used as the output. Such devices that uses light as output includes fiber optics and lasers.

• Fiber Optics: This is a technology that uses a glass, or perhaps plastic, fibers to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads that transmits light waves. Fiber optic cables are used because they provide much greater bandwidth than coaxial or metal cables do. This means they can carry a lot more data. They also do not allow interference like metal cables do. Other reasons for using fiber optic cables are they are thinner to use and lighter so you can put them in places that metal cables could not go. With fiber optics, data can be transmitted digitally rather than the conventional way.
• Lasers: A laser is a device that uses the science of amplifying electromagnetic waves by stimulating radiation. When atoms, ions, or molecules absorb energy, they can emit light spontaneously. There are various types of lasers including continuous-wave gas lasers, short-pulsed gas lasers, or solid state lasers.
o Continuous-wave gas lasers – This is also known as the neutral-atom helium-neon laser. It works by combining helium and neon. This combination creates an electric discharge. This discharge is a focus and centered light.
o Short-pulsed gas lasers – There are some lasers that work by producing pulses of light. The short-pulse gas laser does just that. A circuit within the device provides a limited pulse of light to shine through a LED.
o Solid-state Lasers – These lasers are all solid-state constructed. The light is generated by semiconductors that provide the output for the light.

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