Moral economies of consumption

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to bring together debates about enduring normative concerns surrounding the morality of consumption with more recent concerns about the ways specific moralities are constituted in and through markets. The second aim is to develop the concept of ‘moral economy’ and call for an approach to its study, attentive to how moralities of consumption develop through interactions between instituted systems of provision, forms of state regulation, customs within communities and the everyday reflections of consumers about the things that matter to them. As consumers are increasingly asked to factor environmental and fair labour concerns into their purchase and post-purchase habits, there is a real need to understand how moralities of consumption are both formatted through institutional frameworks and shaped everyday by actors from within. After developing a framework for the study of moral economies, this article explores in depth the experiences of one couple in relation to the cessation of a cardboard recycling collection in Shropshire (England) to show why a multilevel perspective is needed to appreciate the place of morality within the market

Photonic molecules and spectral engineering

This chapter reviews the fundamental optical properties and applications of pho-tonic molecules (PMs) - photonic structures formed by electromagnetic coupling of two or more optical microcavities (photonic atoms). Controllable interaction between light and matter in photonic atoms can be further modified and en-hanced by the manipulation of their mutual coupling. Mechanical and optical tunability of PMs not only adds new functionalities to microcavity-based optical components but also paves the way for their use as testbeds for the exploration of novel physical regimes in atomic physics and quantum optics. Theoretical studies carried on for over a decade yielded novel PM designs that make possible lowering thresholds of semiconductor microlasers, producing directional light emission, achieving optically-induced transparency, and enhancing sensitivity of microcavity-based bio-, stress- and rotation-sensors. Recent advances in material science and nano-fabrication techniques make possible the realization of optimally-tuned PMs for cavity quantum electrodynamic experiments, classical and quantum information processing, and sensing.Comment: A review book chapter: 29 pages, 19 figure

The dual wavelength Bi-vertical cavity surface-emitting laser

We present a monolithically integrated vertical coupled cavity surface-emitting laser diode which exhibits stable laser emission at two design wavelengths simultaneously. The device consists of two slightly asymmetric coupled vertical cavities containing strained InGaAs quantum wells as the gain media. The shorter cavity is pumped electrically. Lasing starts on the short wavelength mode at 927 nm. The laser emission then acts as an optical pump for the quantum wells in the longer cavity and provides additional gain for the long wavelength mode, resulting in a subsequent laser emission at 955 nm. With increasing injection current, the device maintains stable emission at the two wavelengths. The threshold for dual lasing is 4 kA/cm(2) and dual lasing is stable over six times the threshold. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)02932-0]

BiVCSEL operation at 925 and 955 nm

We present a monolithically integrated coupled cavity vertical cavity surface emitting laser or BiVCSEL: this two-terminal electrically injected device exhibits stable laser emission at two design wavelengths simultaneously. The coupling between the two monolithically grown cavities leads to two distinct Fabry-Perot modes whose separation and localization are designed in such a way that the interaction between the two modes leads to dual laser emission. Simultaneous lasing at 925 nm and 955 nm is achieved experimentally with a threshold for dual lasing of 4 kA/cm(2) and dual lasing is stable over 6 times threshold