Optics and photonics : essential technologies for our nation

Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet.

As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation , it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad--including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics.

Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas.

Summary	p. 1
1 Introduction	p. 13
Motivation for This Study	p. 15
Enabling Technology	p. 16
Economic Issues	p. 17
Global Perspective	p. 18
Importance of Education	p. 18
Progress for the Future	p. 19
2 Impact of Photonics on the National Economy	p. 20
Introduction	p. 20
The Economics of Photonics: A Case Study of Lasers	p. 21
The Economic Impact of the Laser	p. 22
Funding of Early Laser Development	p. 23
The Early Laser Market	p. 24
International Comparison	p. 25
Conclusions from the Laser Case Study	p. 27
Estimating the Economic Impact of Photonics-Industry Revenues, Employment, and R&D Investment in the United States	p. 28
Government and Industrial Sources of R&D Funding in Photonics and Federal Funding of Optics	p. 32
Changes in Photonics-based Innovations in the United States Since 1980	p. 37
Venture Capital in Optics	p. 43
Markets for Technology, Intellectual Property, and U.S. University Technology Licensing	p. 50
Models of Collaborative R&D and Implications for Photonics Innovation	p. 52
Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SEMATECH)	p. 54
Optoelectronics Industry Development Association (OIDA)	p. 56
National Nanotechnology Initiative	p. 59
Summary Comments	p. 60
Proposed National Photonics Initiative	p. 61
Findings	p. 62
Recommendations	p. 63
3 Communications, Information Processing, and Data Storage	p. 64
Introduction	p. 64
Communications	p. 65
Information Processing	p. 69
Data Storage	p. 72
Impact Example: The Internet	p. 73
Technical Advances	p. 75
Communications	p. 75
Networking	p. 85
R&D Example Areas	p. 87
Information Processing	p. 88
Data Storage	p. 91
Manufacturing	p. 92
Communications	p. 92
Information Processing	p. 93
Data Storage	p. 94
Economic Impact	p. 94
Comparison Between the United States and the Rest of the World	p. 96
Findings and Conclusions	p. 97
Recommendations and Grand Challenge Questions	p. 99
4 Defense and National Security	p. 102
Introduction	p. 102
Optics and Photonics: Impact on Defense Systems	p. 104
Technology Overview	p. 104
Changes Since the Harnessing Light Study	p. 105
Identification of Technological Opportunities from Recent Advances	p. 108
Manufacturing	p. 121
U.S. Global Position	p. 122
Findings and Conclusions	p. 124
Recommendation and Grand Challenge Questions	p. 126
5 Energy	p. 127
Introduction	p. 127
Solar Power	p. 130
Photovoltaic Systems	p. 133
Concentrated Solar Power Systems	p. 142
Hybrid Systems	p. 147
LCOE Outlook for Solar Power Compared to Other Current and Possible Future Fuel Sources	p. 148
Solid-State Lighting	p. 150
Findings	p. 159
Recommendations and Grand Challenge Question	p. 160
6 Health and Medicine	p. 163
Introduction	p. 163
Historical Overview of the Impact of Technology on Medicine	p. 164
Optics and Photonics in Medical Practice Today	p. 166
Advances in Technology Providing the Opportunity for New Applications of Photonics	p. 168
Advances in Technology Providing the Opportunity for Future Applications of Photonics	p. 169
Nucleic Acid Sequence Detection and Mutation Detection	p. 169
Proteomic Analysis Through Protein and Tissue Arrays	p. 171
High-Throughput Screening	p. 171
Flow Cytometry Mass Spectrometry	p. 174
Ophthalmology	p. 174
Image-Guided Surgery	p. 176
Dual Energy CT and Quantitative Image Analysis	p. 178
Biomedical Optics in Regenerative Medicine	p. 180
Biomedical Optics in Research	p. 180
Findings	p. 181
Recommendations	p. 183
7 Advanced Manufacturing	p. 185
Introduction	p. 185
Production and Innovation in Photonics Technologies: Three Case Studies	p. 186
Displays	p. 186
Solar Cells	p. 189
Optoelectronic Components for Communications Systems	p. 194
Similarities and Differences Among the Three Cases	p. 200
Advanced Manufacturing in Optics	p. 202
Optical Surfaces	p. 203
Aspherical Lenses	p. 204
Fabrication Processes and Equipment	p. 204
Applications of Photonics in Manufacturing	p. 205
Photolithography	p. 206
Lasers in Manufacturing	p. 211
Additive Manufacturing	p. 212
Stereolithography	p. 214
Selective Laser Sintering	p. 215
Laser Engineered Net Shaping	p. 217
Photonics and the Future of U.S. Manufacturing	p. 219
High-Volume Products	p. 220
Low-Volume Products	p. 221
The U.S. Manufacturing Workforce	p. 221
Findings	p. 223
Recommendations and Grand Challenge Question	p. 224
8 Advanced Photonic Measurements and Applications	p. 226
Introduction	p. 226
Impact of Optics and Photonics on Sensing, Imaging, and Metrology	p. 227
Technology Overview	p. 230
Changes Since Harnessing Light	p. 232
Changes in SI Definitions	p. 232
Development of Attosecond Pulse Trains by Means of the Generation of High Harmonics	p. 233
Table-top Availability of Extreme Intensities by Means of Chirped-Pulse Amplification	p. 234
Nano-optics and Plasmonics, Negative-Index Materials, and Transformation Optics	p. 235
Advances in Controlled Generation of Quantum Light States and Their Manipulation and Detection	p. 236
High-Resolution Remote Sensing with Optical Synthetic Aperture Radar	p. 239
Advances in Adaptive Optical Techniques	p. 239
Identification of Technological Opportunities from Recent Advances	p. 239
Manufacturing	p. 244
U.S. Global Position	p. 244
Findings	p. 245
Recommendations and Grand Challenge Question	p. 246
9 Strategic Materials for Optics	p. 248
Introduction	p. 248
Energy Applications	p. 249
Novel Structures: Sub-Wavelength Optics, Metamaterials, and Photonic Crystals	p. 250
Technology Challenges of Nanostructured Materials	p. 254
Optical Materials in the Life Sciences and Synthetic Biology	p. 257
Findings	p. 258
Recommendations	p. 259
10 Displays	p. 260
Introduction	p. 260
The Near Future	p. 262
Overview of Displays	p. 263
Liquid-Crystal Displays	p. 263
Touch Displays	p. 264
OLED Displays	p. 267
Flexible Displays	p. 268
Projection Displays	p. 269
Three-Dimensional Holographic Displays	p. 269
Display Product Manufacturing	p. 272
Findings	p. 272
Recommendations	p. 272
Appendixes
A Statement of Task, with Introductory Information	p. 277
B Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. 280
C Additional Technology Examples	p. 288
D Biographies of Committee Members	p. 331

Available:*

On Order

Summary

Summary

Table of Contents