What is Photonics?
The Science of the Photon
Both the science and the technologies of light, photonics aims to study and manufacture components for generating, transmitting, processing and converting optical signals.
Just as electronics uses electrons, photonics uses photons, i.e. the particles of light. Photonics covers all industrial applications related to the visible or invisible light spectrum, from infrared to X-rays.
Lasers, optical fibres, sensors, LEDs, augmented reality, virtual reality… Photonic technologies are numerous and everywhere, whether for communication, travel, healthcare, housing, food or environmental protection. They provide innovative solutions with a high level of performance.
Applications in Every Field!
Without us realising it, photonics is omnipresent in our daily lives. Glasses, telescopes, lamps, TVs, computers, smartphones, bar codes and optical fibres: none of these would exist without photonics!
Our homes are full of photonic components, for example in connected objects such as dimmer switches, sensors in washing machines or hoovers, light-emitting diodes in flat-screen TVs, etc. And the same goes for our cars: headlights, obstacle sensors or navigation screens, etc. Even more telling, when we use the internet, the data we exchange is transformed into photons and travels in optical fibres at the speed of light.
Beyond this, photonics has a multitude of other applications in all fields of activity: agriculture, agri-food, health, environment and energy, mobility, telecommunications, defence and security, space and industry.