Photonics
Photonics is the science and technology of generating and controlling light, and, in particular, using light to carry information. The name is derived from the fundamental information carrier - the photon. The science and applications of photonics are usually based on laser light.
The science of photonics includes light emission[?], transmission[?], deflection[?], amplification[?], detection, modulation[?], and switching[?]. List of photonic devices includes lasers and other light sources[?], fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and whole systems. Applications of photonics range from energy generation[?] to detection to communications and information processing[?].
Whereas the 20th century was labelled the century of electronics, the 21st century is predicted to become known as the century of photonics.
Researchers in photonics