Research at Lincoln laboratory leading up to the development of the injection laser in 1962

In 1958 the semiconductor device group at Lincoln Laboratory began to concentrate its efforts on exploiting GaAs. These efforts, in addition to yielding diodes with ns switching speeds, led to the development in early 1962 of diodes which emitted near-bandgap radiation with very high efficiency, and to the development in October 1962 of the diode laser. The theory of the semiconductor laser developed at Lincoln Laboratory in the mid-to-late 1950´s provided the foundation necessary for the design of the diode laser structure after the highly efficient production of near-bandgap radiation was demonstrated.