Photonic Integration: New Applications Are Visible

Abstract

Chip integration has allowed for many years already to miniaturize optical systems into photonic circuits, improving in performance and robustness while decreasing cost and weight. Traditional applications have been telecom and datacom components, but as technology matures in these markets, new emerging applications arise on healthcare and biochemistry sensing. From optical coherence tomography (OCT) medical instrumentation, to lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, spectrometry or flow cytometry, many new integration platforms and devices are being demonstrated and commercialized.