Feature
Alexander Graham Bell and the Photophone: The Centennial of the Invention of Light-Wave Communications, 1880-1980
The invention of light-wave communications in 1880 by Alexander Graham Bell and Sumner Tainter is reviewed. The events leading to the invention, the optimization of selenium detectors and the phenomenon of sound emission by substances illuminated by a concentrated beam of intermittent light, are discussed. Finally, attention is given to Bell's photophone papers and patents and the opinions of his contemporaries about the significance of the invention.
Log in or become a member to view the full text of this article.
This article may be available for purchase via the search at Optica Publishing Group.
Optica Members get the full text of Optics & Photonics News, plus a variety of other member benefits.