The term lightwave technology was coined as a natural extension of microwave technology
and refers to the developments based on the use of light in place of microwaves.
The beginnings of lightwave technology can be traced to the decade of 1960s during
which significant advances were made in the fields of lasers, optical fibers, and nonlinear
optics. The two important milestones were realized in 1970, the year that saw the
advent of low-loss optical fibers as well as the room-temperature operation of semiconductor
lasers. By 1980, the era of commercial lightwave transmission systems has
arrived.