Photonic devices - Bas parameters

The term “photonics” refers to the combination of optics and electronics, which is driving innovation in each of these disciplines and a significant expansion of their applications. Initially, this term was used in the defense sector, which, following World War II, recognized the value of photonic devices or sensors as complements to radar, particularly for fire control, since optical resolution and pointing accuracy are superior to those of radar.

Since its beginnings in the defense sector, photonics has rapidly spread to a wide variety of fields: space, astronomy, optical telecommunications, industry, medicine, research, and consumer applications. The revolution brought about in the field of imaging by this combination of optics, electronics, and computer science is evident in everyday life: digital photography, mini-cameras in cell phones, webcams, flat-screen displays, and more.

Photonics is a highly active field of research and innovation across several disciplines—optics, solid-state physics, electronics, mechanics, and signal and image processing—which is leading to an increasingly rapid pace of technological renewal and improved performance. Each piece of equipment consists of a set of components defined by its “photonics chain,” which varies in complexity depending on the device’s intended purpose, and whose common core is the optical block.

The purpose of this article is to describe the main optical components of photonic devices and to define the parameters that have the greatest influence on the design, characterization, and performance of such devices.