Photonics is the study and application of light in all its forms, including ultraviolet and infrared. It is used in various industries, from consumer electronics to medicine and military applications. Light transmission, emission, amplification, and sensing are important aspects. Modulation is a common field of study, with different methods used to encode information into light. Photonics is a well-funded and thriving area of scientific research.
Photonics is a broad field of study involving the research and application of light in all its many forms. The field is not only interested in the visible light spectrum; Ultraviolet light and infrared light are also very important. The field of photonics was originally aimed at applying light to tasks that previously could only be solved through electronics, such as telecommunications. The modern field seeks to continue this effort and expand it by seeking all applications for light. Photonics draws on and contributes to many other fields, such as quantum electronics and modern optics.
There are many aspects of light and its behavior that are important to anyone studying photonics for scientific or industrial purposes. Light transmission, for example, is important due to the need for efficient and reliable data transfer to and from distant locations. Fiber optic cables are often used for this purpose. Light emission and amplification are also important for the production and manipulation of effective signals.
Light sensing is especially important in photonics, as the light involved in experiments and tests often needs to be quantified and may not even be visible. Some light sensing devices are chemical in nature; for example, light of a specific frequency or intensity can cause a specific chemical effect. Other detectors act like thermometers and respond to the heat provided by incoming light.
The field of photonics is used in many different industries, from consumer electronics to robotics. Barcode scanners and DVD players are both light-based technologies, for example. In medicine, light in the form of lasers is also used for vision correction and tattoo removal. Military applications include sensing infrared light to expose heat sources in the dark. Some applications of photonics are used entirely for entertainment; these include laser shows and holographic art.
The wide range of commercial, industrial and military applications in photonics ensure that it is generally a well-funded and thriving area of scientific research. There are many aspects to the study and application of light, so there are many different aspects of the behavior and use of light that can be studied at any given time. A common field of study is modulation, the way information can be encoded into light. The simplest modulation method is to turn a single light source on and off according to a specified code, such as Morse code. Other modulation methods, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, try to use different qualities of different light sources, such as frequency, to send more complex and efficient signals.
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