Advanced Photonic Sciences

Photonics is the science of light (photon) generation, detection, and manipulation through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and detection/sensing. Though covering all light's technical applications over the whole spectrum, most photonic applications are in the range of visible and near-infrared light. The term photonics developed as an outgrowth of the first practical semiconductor light emitters invented in the early 1960s and optical fibers developed in the 1970s. Photonic applications use the photon in the same way that electronic applications use the electron. Devices that run on light have a number of advantages over those that use electricity. Light travels at about 10 times the speed that electricity does, which means (among other things) that data transmitted photonically can travel long distances in a fraction of the time. Furthermore, visible-light and infrared (IR) beams, unlike electric currents, pass through each other without interacting, so they don't cause interference. A single optical fibre has the capacity to carry three million telephone calls simultaneously. Among the large number of current or possible photonic applications are: photonic switching, silicon photonics, photonic networks, and the photonic computer. The new emerging field of photonics has significantly attracted the interest of many societies, professionals and researchers around the world. The great importance of this field is due to its applicability and possible utilization in almost all scientific and industrial areas. This book entitled Advanced Photonic Sciences offers advanced topics in the area of photonics. The book will be a good tool for experienced professionals, academics and researchers as well as young researchers only starting their carrier in this field.