All about Photonics

Penetrating to the world of PHOTONICS!!

The word Photonics has been derived from the Greek word ‘Phos’ meaning ‘Light’. It is a sub-discipline of physics and deals with the study of generation and detection of photons/light, through emission, absorption, amplification, interference and other optical phenomena.

Photonics more specifically connotes:-

1. The particle properties of light
2. Signal transmission using photons
3. Analogy of electronics

Photonics is considered to be one of the key drivers for the 21^st century and this is supported by the fact that since 2000, more than 20 Nobel Prizes have been awarded in the field of Photonics Research.

The invention of lasers in 1960, marked the beginning of photonics followed by laser diodes in the 1970s. The optical transmission was adopted for signal transmission in the 1980s and thus, photonics came into common use.

Photonics covers a huge range of sci-tech from laser manufacturing and optical computing to medical diagnostics and therapy. 

Some of the modern-day applications such as autonomous driving, virtual and augmented reality, structural health monitoring, biomedical imaging and things like gesture recognition where we are trying to break down the interface between man and machines, use properties of photons.

Resources and Devices used in Photonics:-

Photonics commonly uses semiconductor-based light sources such as LEDs, superluminescent diodes etc. Lasers are an important device aspect of photon engineering.

Various light sources which are used for the purpose of photonic research are:-

1). Single-photon sources

2). Fluorescent lamps

3). CRTs

4). Plasma screens

Transmission of light has an important role to play in the field of photonics research. Glass Fibre or plastic optical fibre can be used to guide the light along with the desired path. Photonic crystals, photonic crystal fibres and metamaterials can also be used for the purpose.

Applications of photonics:-

1). Optical fibre communication

2). Consumer equipment- Barcode scanner, printer, remote control devices.

3). Medical - Biomedical imaging, laser surgery, cancer treatment, endoscopy.

4). Industries- Using lasers for cutting and welding materials.

5). Military - Sensors, mine laying and detection navigation.

6). Metrology- Time and frequency measurements and range finding.

Professional Scope of Photonics:-

Photonics finds its use in a number of unconventional yet professionally nurtured and required fields such as:-

1). Optoacoustic/Photoacoustic Imaging – Laser energy delivered to biological tissues is absorbed and converted to heat leading to ultrasonic emissions.

2). Optomechanics – Study of interaction between light and mechanical vibrations.

3). Polaritons - Used for the purpose of wave generation, guidance and manipulation.

4).Electro-optics – Deals with devices and systems operated by light interactions.

5). Programmable photonics – Studies the development of photonic circuits.

6). Optoatomics - Devices integrate both photonic and atomic devices for applications such as navigation and metrology.

7). Quantum Optics - Studying light interactions with matter at a microscopic level.

Career Scope in the field of Photonic Engineering:-

Photonics has become a fundamental technology in worldwide telecommunication, computing, security etc.
People working with the photonics field basically work for the telecommunication companies.
Photonic graduates basically work with semiconductor technology, fibre and integrate optics, optoelectronics and software. They are experts in the field of industrial manufacturing.
There are many jobs in the design and manufacture of LEDs, SLDs(Super Luminescent Diodes) and CRTs.
A a career in photonics could also concentrate on transmission media like glass fibres or plastic optical fibres (POFs). There will be many job offers for someone who can develop new photonic crystals.

Top recruiters for Photonic Engineers:- 

1). Eagle Photonics.
2). Kwality Photonics Pvt. Ltd.
3). Sphere Optics.
4). J2 Optronics.
5). Sterlite Optical Technologies.

Institutes Offering Professional Training:-

1). International School of Photonics (Cochin University of Science and Technology): Mphil, Mtech and PhD programmes.
2). IIT Delhi
3). IIT Madras

Remuneration:-

It varies on the basis of experience and education. One can earn Rs.20000 to Rs.35000 per month at the beginning of his career.
In countries like the US, Canada and UK, the pay package of photonics researchers and scientists vary from $36384 to $11691.

(EXTRA)

Some sub-field applications of photonics:-

1. Photonic systems –The Segment of optical communication systems.
2. Photonic Integrated Circuits – Active Integrated photonic semiconductor devices.
3. Biophotonics –Employment of the field of photonics to the study of biology.
4. Organic Photonics – Signal processing using organic optical materials.
5. Bio-inspired Photonics –Artificial materials with optical properties spring inspiration from living organisms.