Seminarium Optyczne

The contemporary world is a universe of information technologies (ICT) - we live surrounded by information generated, aggregated, and processed using sophisticated computer systems, transmitted over high-speed teletransmission networks, and analyzed by artificial intelligence. Dynamic development of ICT is driven by the technologies of electronic integration, developed since the 70s, which marked the beginning of the microelectronic revolution, which resulted in the omnipresence of integrated electronic circuits. The beginning of the 21st century observed a rapid development of technology with a similarly revolutionary potential - integrated photonics - analogous to integrated electronics, with the only difference of using photons instead of electrons as information carriers. Indeed, photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have revolutionized the telecom and datacom market. After two decades of development with enormous dynamics, they are ready to enter entirely new application areas related to broadly defined sensor technologies (including the IoT and smart environment). In this presentation, the issues of technology and applications of integrated photonics systems will be explained, with particular emphasis on global development trends. In particular, mature technological platforms with an established market position (silicon and indium phosphide) and emerging platforms will be presented and discussed. Specific attention will be put on the MIRPIC platform, dedicated to mid-infrared integrated photonics systems, developed jointly by VIGO Photonics, Warsaw University of Technology, and Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics of Lukasiewicz Research Network. The main application areas of PIC-based systems - optical telecommunications, datacom, and sensor technology - will be analyzed and illustrated with examples of commercially offered products complemented with the original PIC designs of the IMiO PW team. The main challenges will also be discussed, which integrated photonics is currently facing.