Optoelectronics is an interdisciplinary field resulting from the interaction of Materials Science, Electronics Engineering, Information Theory and Fundamental and Applied Optics. Basic functions of an optoelectronic system include the generator of the optical signal, its transmission and handling and, finally, its detection, storage and display. A large variety of semiconductor and insulating materials are used or are being considered to perform those functions. In this conference, we will focus on the tole of insulating materials, mostly oxides. For signal generation, tunable solid state lasers, either vibronic or those based on colour centres will be briefly described, and their main operating parameters summarized. A reference will be made to some developments on fiber and waveguide lasers.
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