What technology produces a narrow, coherent beam of light and is commonly used in barcode scanners and fiber-optic communications?

Laser

The term 'laser' is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Unlike standard light sources that scatter, lasers produce a focused beam where all light waves are perfectly synchronized. This unique property allows them to transmit massive amounts of data through fiber-optic cables or scan barcodes with extreme precision.