At the bottom of the ocean, optical fibers transmit telecommunications and internet data around the world. Waveguides make that feat possible by channeling and amplifying the light—and therefore the data within—over enormous distances.

The technology goes beyond undersea cables. Waveguiding optics are among the most important advances in photonics since the invention of the laser. They are fundamental to the structure of glass fiber lasers, which are used for high-power national security applications like counter-drone laser systems and missile defense.