Science: Engineering :: Optics: Photonics
Think of optics as the science of light. It’s a branch of physics that describes the
behavior and properties of light—including visible, infrared, and ultraviolet— and
the interaction of light with matter. It’s about what light is made of and how it behaves.
Light allows us to see, but it also transmits sound, cuts things, and controls electrical circuits.
That’s where photonics comes in. Photonics is the science and technology of generating
and harnessing light. This includes the emission, transmission, amplification, detection,
modulation, and switching of light—much of which is centered around the use of lasers and
photodetectors. Light sensors, telecommunications equipment, holographs, CDs, laser surgery,
fiber optics, and the Internet are all based on photonics. Among photonics-based technologies
we take for granted today are:
- Barcode scanners, printers, remote control devices;
- Laser surgery, drilling, and surface modification;
- Rangefinding, navigation;
- Computer networking, circuit boards, and chips;
- CDs, DVDs; and
- Digital cameras.