Intel has made a scientific breakthrough using standard silicon manufacturing processes to create the world's first continuous wave silicon laser. This technology could help bring low-cost, high-quality lasers and optical devices to mainstream use in computing, communications and medical applications. As reported in today's issue of the journal Nature, Intel researchers have found a way to use the so-called Raman effect and silicon's crystalline structure to amplify light as it passes through it. When infused with light from an external source the experimental chip produces a continuous, high-quality laser beam. While still far from becoming a commercial product, the ability to build a laser from standard silicon could lead to inexpensive optical devices that move data inside and between computers at the speed of light - ushering in a flood of new applications for high-speed computing. Read more..