A strained quantum well laser is a type of quantum-well laser, which was invented by Professor Alf Adams at the

University of Surrey The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its Royal Charter, royal charter in 1966, along with a Plate glass university, number of other institutions following recommendations ...

in 1986. The laser is distinctive for producing a more concentrated beam than other

quantum well A quantum well is a potential well with only discrete energy values. The classic model used to demonstrate a quantum well is to confine particles, which were initially free to move in three dimensions, to two dimensions, by forcing them to occup ...

lasers, making it considerably more efficient. The lasers are notable for usage in CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray drives as well as applications in supermarket

barcode reader A barcode reader or barcode scanner is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes and send the data they contain to computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens, and a light sensor for translating optical impul ...

s and

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

optical transmission.

References

Semiconductor lasers Photonics Quantum optics British inventions {{tech-stub