Termed as the technology of 21st century, photonics holds promise of a great career for those with love for physics.
In an era when LED bulbs, fibre optic cables, scanners and lazers are so much a part of the equipment we use, it is surprising that there are not enough people getting into Photonics — one of the fastest growing high-tech industries in the world today. Photonics is a discipline of physics that deals with the study of photons, the primary particle of light, to obtain, convey or process information. It is the science of mastering the techniques involved in the emission, detection, transmission and modulation of light. Due to the advent of sophisticated equipment and new techniques photonics is considered to be the next generation technology. In fact, just as electronics is considered the technology of the 20th century, photonics could be the technology of the 21st century. Photonics has become a fundamental technology in worldwide telecommunication, computing, security and many other applications because of its advantage to work more effectively and with much greater speed. The growing numbers of practical applications of photonics make it an important field both for research and commercial development. The technology is used for imaging, health care and medicine, defence, optics and electronics. It deals with the instruments required such as laser guns, optical fibers, optometric instruments etc. in numerous and diverse fields of technology. These include:
- Optical communications (e.g., fiber optics, lasers, and infrared links),
- Optical imaging (e.g., spy and weather satellites, night vision, holography, flat screen display, and CCD video cameras),
- Optical data storage and optical computing (e.g., CDs and DVDs),
- Optical detectors (e.g., supermarket scanners, medical optics, and nondestructive evaluation of materials),
- Lasers (e.g., welding lasers, laser surgery, laser shows, and laser rangefinders)
- Spectroscopy (e.g., chemical and biological detection, anti-terror detection) and many others.
Getting in
The eligibility criteria for taking up a graduation course in photonics or optoelectronics is Plus II with physics, chemistry and maths and a minimum mark of 55 per cent. Although photonics industry is growing rapidly, photonics companies have a hard time finding qualified people because there are limited courses that cover this subject, as it is an interdisciplinary field covering physics, physical chemistry, and electrical engineering. For those unaware of this course, a degree in applied physics, science, or engineering can enable you to get into this field. A candidate having a bachelor in physics and mathematics, Applied physics or electronics can pursue MSc in photonics or optoelectronics. One can also obtain MTech, MPhil, and PhD in photonics and the eligibility is a master’s degree in physics or photonics. There are also some diploma courses that can enable you to become a photonics technician. The two-year technician programme teaches you the practical skills required to get into this field. Most courses in photonics or optoelectronics include the study of modern optics, laser technology systems and applications, optoelectronic and optical communications, microprocessor and micro controller, fiber optics communication and sensor, digital signal processing, photonic materials and devices.
Job prospects
Career options in this field are virtually limitless, as they cover almost every area of science and technology, from energy generation and detection to communication, manufacturing, healthcare and information processing. Most of the jobs for photonics specialists are with telecommunication companies, and with R & D organisations involved in the area of networks, semiconductor technology, fiber and integrated optics, optoelectronics and software. There are many jobs in the design and manufacture of semiconductor light sources like light-emitting and super luminescent diodes (LEDs and SLDs), fluorescent lamps, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), and plasma display panels (PDPs), used in television sets, computer monitors, mobile phones and computers, handheld video game systems, personal digital assistants, navigation systems, and projectors.Other job options could vary from that of a bio-chemist performing in vivo fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy on various cancer tumors, to a technical manager in a start-up company developing a new needle-free optical glucose monitoring device for people with diabetes, or a mechanical engineer working on a design of new automated systems for fiber alignment used in fiber-components manufacturing.The pervasive and far-reaching applications of this technology, along with its multidisciplinary characteristic, open tremendous career opportunities to qualified people in the field. So whether you have done physics, chemistry, bio-chemistry, computer science, electrical, mechanical or industrial engineering you can take up the optics and photonics specialisation to move into the field of photonics. What you do require to have is:
- A fascination for science and related topics.
- An eye for detail.
- Curiosity for solving science-centered questions.
- Be good in physics and mathematics.
- Some out of the box thinking as you need to design equipments.
As more and more applications of optics and photonics emerge, the demand for qualified people is only going to grow. So, if you can see that ray of light in photonics it may be the best way forward for you.
This article was first published by Usha in The Tribune India
Dr. Harshavardhan Reddy Pinninty 