The science and technology of creating, manipulating, and detecting light in the service of practical applications where the particle character of light is crucial is referred to as photonics. The use of photons to convey information is a topic of great interest in the field of photonics.
Fiber-optic telecommunications, optical data storage, displays, optical pumping of high-power lasers, and laser printing are all economically significant applications for photonic devices.
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What is Photonics?
Photonics is a branch of science that studies light. The name “photonics” is derived from the root word “photon,” which refers to the smallest unit of light, similar to an electron in electricity.
In photonic applications, the photon is employed in the same way that the electron is used in electrical applications. Light-based gadgets have various advantages over electricity-powered ones.
Depending on the device structure and operational mode, photonic devices can, in general, be divided into three categories:
- Photovoltaic devices (i.e., solar cells) transform sunlight directly into energy by creating electron-hole pairs in a solar cell through internal photovoltaic processes.
- Photodetectors are devices that detect photons or optical signals and convert them to electrical signals using internal photoelectric processes.
- Light emmiting diodes or laser diodes that transform electrical energy into coherent or incoherent optical radiation by electrical injection into the p-n diode junction region.
Summary
- The use of photons to convey information is a topic of great interest in the field of photonics.
- Photonics applications range from optical data transmission to imaging, lighting, and displays, as well as the manufacturing sector, life sciences, health care, security, and safety.