Patent ID: 7257327

Claim:
An optical communication system, comprising: a service provider which receives information signals and converts the information signals into optical signals having a frequency in the broad bandwidth frequency range; an optical fiber network which receives the optical signals from the service provider; and a high efficiency/high power optical source which receives the optical signals from the optical fiber network and transmits the optical signals through the air to an end user spaced from the high efficiency/high power optical source, the high efficiency/high power optical source comprising at least one of an optical magnetron or a phased array source of electromagnetic radiation, the optical magnetron or phased array source including a cathode, an anode spaced from the cathode, an interaction space between the anode and the cathode, and a magnetic field source, wherein the high efficiency/high power optical source includes an optical magnetron and one or more output waveguides and output antennas connected to the optical magnetron to direct the output signals toward one or more end users.