Photonics-physics and industry-today and tomorrow

Full text: Photonics research in Australia has been boosted over the past decade by various collaborative R and D programs that highlight the interplay between physics and industry. This research was built from a strong foundation in the fundamental theory of fibre and waveguide device design that provided not only a platform for applied R and D that has led to significant industry activities, but continues in new areas such as spatial solitons and photonic microstructures. The critical step from an industry perspective has been to build on these insights through materials science, to deliver new manufacturing technologies for photonics components and fibres. The chemistry and physics of photo-induced defects in silicate glasses, when combined with novel UV-writing interferometers, has provided a number of new approaches to the writing of Bragg gratings in fibres and waveguides. These gratings, developed for communications applications with strong industry support, have such an outstanding performance that they will certainly be deployed in many areas of optics. Polymer technologies have now been developed to the point where its performance as a platform meets the same specifications as required for silica based devices, with room for ongoing improvement using the versatility that polymers provide. It is worthwhile speculating on the future The narrowing gap between the conductivity of polymers and traditional semiconductors would indicate that the long awaited fusion of photonics and high-speed electronics might take place in polymer materials. Photonic microstructures provide the route to miniaturisation of photonics. The ability of photons to control the conduction of free electrons, and the spin states of bound electrons, in these materials would then provide a platform for quantum processing and transport of information, with profound implications for security and encryption. This is a rich area for research, with profound technological impacts. It is intriguing to speculate that electronic computation and photonic communications may fuse at the technology platform level-a true convergence for 'systems on a chip' that may parallel the business convergence of IT and communications. In summary, the physics of photonics has much to offer-to researchers and industry, and to society. The Australian Government has nominated photon sciences as a priority area for research, with research funding implications. The issue for Australia will be our ability to manage the collaborations necessary to make a difference