Photonics: Maintaining Competitiveness in the Information Era
Abstract
Photonics is concerned with the use of photons to work with or to replace electrons in certain communications, computer, or control applications traditionally carried out by electronics. It is a key high-technology area, well established in long-distance fiber-optic telecommunications and rapidly growing in other areas of great importance to society. In this report the panel has concentrated on technical areas where the overall worldwide market for equipment approaches $400 billion per year. Telecommunications; Information processing; Optical storage and display; Optical sensors; and Policy Issues. It is essential to increase our industrial competitiveness in product development, manufacturing skills, and marketing; There must be continuing industrial effort in long-range research and innovation; The photonics industry should consider the advantages of an industry association that could help organize consortia to conduct cooperative research and address technical problems and policy issues beyond the scope of any one organization; and Government contractors who receive a percentage of sales for their independent research should devote a sizable fraction to projects with a life span of 5 to 10 years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA200230
Entities
Organizations
- National Research Council