Important Technologies in Commercial Applications of Photonics

Semiconductor Review | Monday, September 26, 2022

Photonic technology enables the transmission of vast amounts of data across great distances.

FREMONT, CA: Photonics technologies utilize the qualities of light to generate an expanding range of applications for industries as diverse as healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture, and data processing. The advances in photonics are significantly impacting many sectors of the economy, and Canada is well positioned to establish a dominant position in this emerging industry. Canada boasts an abundance of physicists and engineers of world-class caliber who specialize in optics and photonics. These academics frequently affiliate with the university or government-affiliated research institutions across the country.

Sensing and imaging

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Photonic sensing relies on correctly detecting absorbed or emitted light to perform analysis. In contrast, photonic imaging exploits the properties of light to penetrate objects and construct three-dimensional models. Compared to ordinary machine imaging, hyperspectral and multispectral imaging capture, process, and analyze information from the entire light spectrum. This can disclose compositional features that are otherwise undetectable. It allows for increased transmission and processing speeds.

Communications

Optical communications systems transport data over fibers by transforming electronic signals into light pulses using lasers or light-emitting diodes as light sources. Light-fidelity technology (Li-Fi) is a wireless communications system for high-speed data transfer over visible light, ultraviolet, or infrared spectrums. Li-Fi transmits data by the modulation of light intensity. Silicon photonic data transfer is a technique that uses optical transceivers to convert silicon-based electrical impulses into light, allowing for transmission over great distances and at ultra-high bandwidths.

Computing

For rapid calculation, photonic computing utilizes photons generated by lasers or diodes. These computers can process data instantaneously by using wave propagation and eliminating switching latency delays. Integrated optical technology is one emerging field that entails the integration of waveguides and devices onto a surface to enable complicated photonic (or optic) computers to process and transmit light in a manner analogous to how conventional computers process and transmit electronic data. Using integrated photonics components and computers, data centers can manage terabit-scale traffic data volumes with millisecond switching speeds. In addition, these computers will consume far less energy, resulting in significant cost savings.

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