New Light on Photonic Crystal Assembly

摘要

Labcoat physicists are back in the Physics Top Ten, after a long period in which observational cosmologists and experimental neutrino physicists have dominated our rankings. Paper #10 is on crystals that can be used to manipulate light, while #5 describes a new quantum "machine." The technology driver behind photonic crystal research (#10) is the relentless downsizing of integrated electron circuits. Unfortunately, miniaturization has hit fundamental barriers that arise because the objects being manipulated are electrons. Smaller circuits have higher electrical resistance and great power loss, emitted as unwelcome heat. Moreover, the speed of electrons in metallic wires is far slower than the Velocity of light. For these reasons, materials scientists are exploring optical rather than electronic circuits as the next breakthrough in processing speed for the semiconductor industry.