1980

1980 — The first confirmation of soliton generation in optical fibers

L. F. Mollenauer

1980 — Fibers able to send a single 150 miles before becoming to weak produced.

Fibers produced were so transparent that a signal could pass through 150 miles of fiber before becoming too weak to detect.

1980 — Illusion Transmitter for transmitting 3D optical illusions developed

Valerie Thomas

The “Illusion Transmitter” is basically a device that would simulate a real-time, 3-dimensional viewing of an object through optical illusions with parabolic mirrors.

1981 — Nobel prize in physics awarded for developments in laser spectroscopy

Nicolaas Bloembergen & Arthur L. Schawlow

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics "for their contributions to the development of laser spectroscopy."

1981 — Invention of a microscope that gives 3D images of objects to the atomic level

Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer

Invents a scanning tunneling microscope that gives three-dimensional images of objects down to the atomic level.

1981 — Scientists observed the effect of the ultraviolet excimer laser on biological materials.

Samuel Blum, Rangaswamy Srinivasan and James Wynne

Observed the effect of the ultraviolet excimer laser on biological materials. Intrigued, they investigated further, finding that the laser made clean, precise cuts that would be ideal for delicate surgeries.

1982 — First paper and talk on excimer laser lithography

Kanti Jain

Published the first paper and gave the first talk on excimer laser lithography, use of a type of ultraviolet laser in creating integrated circuits.

1982 — VISA puts holograms on credit cards

Visa begins putting laser holograms on credit cards to discourage forgery.

1982 — MCI leases right of way to install single-mode fiber from New York to Washington.

MCI

Leases right of way to install single-mode fiber from New York to Washington. The system will operate at 400 million bits per second at 1.3 micrometers. This starts the shift to single-mode fiber in America.

1982 — Field trial of single-mode fiber

British Telecom

Performs field trial of single-mode fiber, which causes them to abandon graded-index fibers in favor of single-mode fibers.

1984 — Lays first underwater fiber to carry regular telecom traffic.

British Telecom

Lays first underwater fiber to carry regular telecom traffic.

1985 — Described X-ray laser experiments in which amplified spontaneous emission was observed at wavelengths around 20 nm.

D L Matthews et al

Described X-ray laser experiments in which amplified spontaneous emission was observed at wavelengths around 20 nm.

1985 — Single-mode fiber spreads across America

Single-mode fiber spreads across America to carry long-distance telephone signals at rates of 400 million bits per second and up.

1985 — Lasers are used in surgery.

Lasers are used in surgery.

1985 — Optical amplifier developed that increases energy carrying capacity 100 times over electronic amplifiers

SB Poole Univ of Southampton

A short strand of erbium-doped glass was spliced into a main optical fiber allowing the system to receive energy from an external source, and to act as a laser by amplifying a weak optical signal without electronic circuitry. This increased the carrying capacity 100 times over systems utilizing electronic amplifiers.

1985 — Development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.

Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and William D. Phillips

Development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.

1986 — Fiber-optic cable across the English Channel in service

Fiber-optic cable across the English Channel in service

1986 — Developed an optical transistor called Self-Electro Optic-Effect Device, or SEED.

David Miller of AT&T Bell Labs

Developed an optical transistor called Self-Electro Optic-Effect Device, or SEED. The transistor involved a light-sensitive switch built with layers of gallium arsenide and gallium aluminum arsenide.

1986 — First disposable camera for photography.

Fuji

First disposable camera for photography.

1987 — Optical interferometer telescope arrays are built.

Optical interferometer telescope arrays are built.

1987 — Digital Light Processing (DLP) is invented.

Texas Instruments

Digital Light Processing (DLP) is invented.

1987 — Introduction of fiber amplifiers that are "doped" with the element erbium.

David Payne

Introduces fiber amplifiers that are "doped" with the element erbium. These new optical amplifiers are able to boost light signals without first having to convert them into electrical signals and then back into light.

1988 — First transatlantic fiber cable is laid with transparent glass.

First transatlantic fiber cable is laid with glass so transparent that amplifiers are only needed about every 40 miles.