Photons to the Rescue: Microelectronics Becomes Microphotonics

The evolution of the information age is being paced by the introduction of new materials and components more than by the design of systems, software, and networks. A rebuilding of the world’s information infrastructure is taking place to give instantaneous availability of data, voice, and video. Electrons transmitted through metal wires have an information carrying capacity that is limited by the resistance and capacitance of the cable and the terminating electronic circuits. Photons transmitted through fiber are capacity-limited only by the dispersion of the medium. Each network node that requires transduction from photonics to electronics limits the performance and affordability of the network. A key frontier is the large scale integration and manufacturing of photonic components to enable the distribution of high bit rate optical streams to the individual information appliance.