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SUMMARY
Photonics: The Cutting Edge Technology to a Global Communications Network Scientists are exploring photonics as an alternate to electronic systems to transmit, distribute, and process high volumes of digital information at 'lightening' speed. Other than its communication properties, light's interface with other materials makes it an ideal precision measurement, fine process, and diagnostic tool. Demands for increasingly diminutive devices, urgent need for higher bandwidth in telecommunications, new market participants and increased financial backing drive this technology. Significant breakthroughs enabling commercial viability could make photonics the latest frontier of human knowledge. This Technical Insights study examines new niche applications developing under Photonic Technologies such as optical communications, photonic networking, optical computing, optical recording, quantum encryption, and ablation. Photonic Networks Provide High Bandwidth within a Small Footprint The strive to construct a global communications network has given photonics research fresh impetus. "A single optical fiber can carry the equivalent of 300,000 telephone calls at the same time," says the analyst. Photonics' has the potential to improve information systems and image-processing technologies vastly. Speed, immunity to interference, increased bandwidth, parallel information processing abilities and enhanced data-storage capacity are some of the advantages of working with light, compelling investors to pump huge funding into photonic research activities. Optical communication devices that provide high bandwidth yet small footprints will also drive the optical network of the future. Other than boosting demand for conventional Internet usage due to it's higher broadband penetration abilities, photonics can also offer new bandwidth-rich applications. Photonics Proves Invaluable in Industrial and Medical Applications Photonics has tremendous scope since it is multidisciplinary, encompassing areas of science and engineering. Industrial applications for optical fiber technology look promising in specialized areas such as biophotonics, where its usage is invaluable in biotechnology, microbiology, medicine, surgery, and veterinary medicine. Photonics is also emerging as the key solution to clinical and research problems through techniques of advanced spectroscopy, laser, microscopy, and fiber-optic imaging. However, creating suitable, cost-effective photonic waveguides that channel light with minimal transmission loss is proving to be a challenge for manufacturers. "The integrating of photonics and electronics components requires a high degree of precision in light transmission, facilitated by automated alignment techniques and modified component designs, " says the analyst. While electronics has become more versatile, portable and miniaturized, photonics equipment is yet to demonstrate its commercial viability. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Photonics Technologies, Executive Summary - A. Research Synopsis
- 1. Photonics: An Enabling Technology
- 2. A Short History
- B. Photonics Description and Research Methodology
- 1. Making Light Work
- 2. Methodology
2. Photonics Technologies, Technology Introduction - A. Pros and Cons
- 1. Advantages
- 2. Disadvantages
- B. The Global Communications Network
- 1. Getting Everybody Connected
- 2. What's Next?
3. Photonics Technologies, Market Overview - A. Industry Scope and Innovative Strategies
- 1. Photonics Scope
- 2. Cluster Formations
- B. Market Trends; Drivers; and Challenges
- 1. Market Size
- 2. New Players Breathe New Life
- 3. Future Market Trends
4. Photonics Technologies, Photonic Materials - A. Photonics in Optoelectronics
- 1. The Role of Materials
- 2. Bandgap Materials
- 3. Crystals
- B. Photonic Materials; Types; and Descriptions
- 1. Composite Materials
- 2. Porous Silicon
- 3. Photonic Polymers and Ceramics
- 4. Wide Bandgap Materials
- 5. Nonlinear Optical Materials
5. Photonics Technologies, Polymers - A. Modifying the Structure
- 1. Embossing Microstructures
- 2. Fast and Easy Does It
- 3. Change the Structure; Change the Laser
- 4. Extending Embossing's Embrace
- B. Combining the Properties of Crystals and Polymers
- 1. Crystals and Polymers
- 2. Transatlantic Photonic Allies
- 3. Do-It-Yourself Fluorine Polymers
- 4. The Proof Is in the Time-of-Flight
6. Photonics Technologies, Light-Emitting Diodes - A. Impurity Makes for Better Polymer LEDs
- 1. Serendipitous Luminescence
- 2. Tripling the Excitons
- B. Simplify Processing
- 1. Cut Costs; Simplify Processing
- 2. Exploring the Dark States
7. Photonics Technologies, LECs and LEDs - A. Flat-Panel Displays
- 1. Ion Mobility Lowers Voltage Needs
- 2. Salty Source for Counterions
- 3. A Polymer/Electrode Sandwich
- 4. Shooting for the Red; Green; and Blue
- B. LEC Applications
- 1. Backlighting Laptops
- 2. Glass Clearly Extends Shelf Life
- C. Test and Measurement
- 1. Combining High-Speed Testing and Wafer Probing
- 2. Spectrometer Measures Power and Wavelength
- 3. Mapping Up To Twenty-Five Parameters
- 4. Determining Optical-Power Measurement
8. Photonics Technologies, Deposition Technologies - A. Laser Deposition
- 1. Pure Enough for Planar
- 2. Nozzle Controls Precursors for Quality
- 3. Laser Control Beats Flame Control
- 4. Single Pass Coverage
- 5. Eliminating Optical-to-Electronic Switching
- 6. Particle-to-Particle Bonding
- B. Growing Nanoribbons
- 1. Breaking Material-Composition Limits
- 2. Coating the Working Side
- 3. Controlling Ribbon Uniformity
- C. Sputtering
- 1. Unlocking Titanium Monoxide's Secrets
- 2. Lower-Cost Alternative to Indium Tin Oxide Films
- 3. Picking the Right Shade of TiOx
- 4. Using Ellipsometry to Judge Color
- D. Achieving the Proper Orientation
- 1. A Simpler Process To Produce Higher-Quality Films
- 2. Pre-Sputtering Prevents Contamination
- 3. Monitoring Gas Ratio and Temperature
- E. Vapor-Based
- 1. Super-Saturated Nanowires
- 2. Growing Nanowires by Super-Saturation
- 3. Serving as Their Own Mirror
- F. Rotational Coating Growth
- 1. Uniform Behavior
- 2. Scaling Up to Commercial Volumes
- 3. Wearing Many Hats
- 4. Going for High-Brightness LEDs
- 5. Cutting Downtime
9. Photonics Technologies, Self-Assembly - A. Finished Devices
- 1. Arrays into Conductors
- 2. Setting the Luminescent Clock
- 3. Borrowing from Nature
- 4. White Light Boosts Ionic Current
- 5. Self-Linking Molecular Chains
- 6. Lipids Help Size and Orientate Arrays
- 7. Coordinating Metal Ions and Bonding Hydrogen
- 8. Stabilizing the Membrane
- B. Crystals into Three-Dimensional Waveguides
- 1. An Alternative to Building Layers
- 2. Sculpting by Microscope
- 3. Light Takes Tight Corners in the Polymer
- C. Nanoscale Construction
- 1. Ionically Built Thin Films
- 2. Coating Substrates with an Ionic Paintbrush
- 3. Trimming those Vacuum Bills
- 4. Finding Collaborators; Seeking Partners
- D. Making Cadmium Telluride Nanowires
- 1. Cadmium Telluride Unlocks Self-Assembly Difficulty
- 2. Pearls-of-Aggregate Wisdom
- 3. How Do Your Nanowires Grow?
- E. Crafting Particles
- 1. Sparks Act as a Chisel
- 2. Scaling to Nanometers
- 3. Low-Cost Alloys
- 4. Retaining the Stoichiometry
- F. Linking Polymer Nanostructures
- 1. Stringing Particles
- 2. Programmable Architecture
- 3. Simple Software Supports Complex Structures
- 4. Easy Bandgap Manipulation
10. Photonics Technologies, New Materials - A. Bistability
- 1. Going Optical and Electrical
- 2. Bistable in Three Properties
- 3. Switching Conductivity; Light Transmission; and Magnetism
- 4. Designing Molecular Propellers
- 5. Spectacular Hysteresis Loop
- 6. One Channel Change Yields Two Effects
- 7. Spinning Electronic Information Transmission
- B. Giving Light Heavier Duties
- 1. Light-Fueled Polymers
- 2. Focusing on Stability
11. Photonics Technologies, Crafting New Structures - A. Liquid Crystal Shuttlecocks Nab Buckyballs
- 1. Playing Molecular Badminton
- 2. Banana-Shaped Molecule
- 3. Beating Cone Shapes Flat
- 4. Investing in High-Yielding C-C Bonds
- B. Tuning Fibers With Microfluidics
- 1. Signal Processing within a Fiber
- 2. Microfluidics Put Passive Fibers to Work
- 3. Manipulation through Plugs and Pumps
- 4. Independent Adjustments
- 5. Heat Drives Tiny Pumps
- 6. Borrowing from Silicon Microelectronics
- 7. Electrical Actuation Reduces Power Consumption
- 8. Counteracting Fluctuating Dispersion
- 9. Faster Switching while Cutting Power Needs
- C. Atomic Nanofabrication
- 1. Sculpting with Atoms
- 2. Unmasking Nanofabrication
- 3. Simplicity is Strength
- 4. Keeping Lasers Cool
- D. Fluid Fabrication
- 1. Customizing Hydrogel-Based Nanoparticles
- 2. Tailormade Annealing
- 3. Know Your Particle Nucleation
- 4. Templates for Telecommunications
- 5. More Robust Tunable Arrays
- E. Three-Dimensional Ink Draws Complex Shapes
- 1. Self-Supporting Ink
- 2. Tuning Gel for Desired Response
- 3. Easier Assembly of Photonic Materials
12. Photonics Technologies, New Synthesis Technologies - A. Going Tubular
- 1. Making Gallium Oxide Tubes and Wires
- 2. Forming Nanowires from Molten Pools
- 3. Plasma Reaction Drives Growth
- 4. Entering the Nitride Arena
- B. Tunable Tubes
- 1. Stacking Ether Rosettes
- 2. Inducing Nanotubes To Assemble Themselves
- 3. Success Has Many Fathers
- C. Electrochemical Birth of Barium-Titanate Films
- 1. Simplicity Itself
- 2. Rinse-and-Dry Cycle
- 3. Sparkling Deposition
- D. Dissolving Templates Hollow Out Nanostructures
- 1. Light-Triggered Drug Release
- 2. Dissolving Templates Shape Nanoparticles
- 3. Filling in for Conductive Composites
13. Photonics Technologies, Coating Substrates - A. Spin Coating
- 1. Opening Doors for Cerium Dioxide
- 2. The Best of the Buffers
- 3. Dip Coating Accommodates Long Tapes
- 4. Sapphire Substrate Solves Orientation Problem
- 5. Better BTO Films Obtained by Sol-Gel Spin Coating
- 6. Sol Gel's Chemical Control
- 7. Multistep Preparation--an Important Parameter
- 8. Chemical Modifications
- 9. Taking Molecular Fingerprints
- 10. Bringing BTO Coatings to Photonics
- B. Scaling Up Silica for the PLC Market
- 1. Folding 50 Layers into One
- 2. Single Pass Coating
- 3. CVD and FHD Quality at 10% the Cost
- 4. Riding the Erbium Wave
- C. Enriched with Erbium
- 1. Matching Silica's Wavelength
- 2. Conductive Shell Propagates Light
- 3. Erbium Dots Can Replace Bulkier Electronics
- D. Gallium Edges Out Aluminum
- 1. Competing with Aluminum
- 2. Changing Targets
- E. Hosting Semiconductors
- 1. It's all in the Spin
- 2. Staying Magnetic at High Temperatures
- 3. Ion-Beam Injection Reveals All
14. Photonics Technologies, Structural Improvements - A. Quantum Wells
- 1. Compound Semiconductor Alliance Struck
- 2. Welsh Wafers with Laser and Telecom Pedigrees
- 3. Modifying Bandgap To Integrate Multifunction Chip
- 4. Setting Electron Traps
- 5. Making the Atoms Jump
- B. Digging Better Quantum Wells
- 1. Confining Electrons To Improve Lasing
- 2. The Search for Bragg Mirror Materials
- 3. Naturally; We're Creating Quantum-Dot Arrays
- 4. Doping the Super-Lattice
- C. Breaking the Cybernetic Traffic Jam
- 1. GaAs Faster; Yet Cooler
- 2. Technology Is Easy; Finance Is Hard
- 3. Next Up; Monolithic Integrated Modules
15. Photonics Technologies, Built-In Properties - A. Tungsten Crystals Make Bulbs Efficient
- 1. Harnessing Wasted IR Energy
- 2. Crystallizing Tungsten
- 3. Four-Fold Thermal Photovoltaic Efficiencies
- 4. On-the-Edge Absorption
- 5. Downsizing to Visibility
- B. Narrowing the Photonic Band Gap
- 1. Miniaturizing Photonic Bandgap
- 2. Electrical Tuning
- 3. Impedance Mismatch--a Key Attribute
- C. When Photon Meets Electron
- 1. Integrating the Optical and the Electrical
- 2. Handles Well at High Speeds
- 3. The Customer is Always Specific
16. Photonics Technologies, Patents; Contacts; Awards - A. Selected Patents and Contacts
- B. Technical Insights Awards
- 1. Technical Insights' 2003 Science and Technology Awards; TechnologyInnovation
- 2. Technical Insights' 2003 Science and Technology Awards; TechnologyLeadership
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