Page 9 - 7. April 2016

ಸಿಂಪುಟ ೬, ಸಿಂಚಿಕ ೪, ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್, ೨೦೧೬

Light and photonics are the key enabling tomorrow’s technologies -
Next Gen ¯ÉÆÃPÀ
KEERTHI NARENDRA

‘Not so long ago, astronauts left Earth for the first time to explore a neighboring world in the solar system. They found a fasci-
nating place, but barren, lifeless and dark. When they looked back from the moon's horizon they saw the Earth, our home, a tiny
oasis backening away from all those miles of empty space. To look at earth from the outside was to discover an entirely new plan-
et. Yet today I stop, amid the loud hustle-bustle of the technically racing world and the desperate rummage for happiness amongst
the developing population to wonder- What was once, and perhaps still is, the most striking element about our Earth? I chase my
vision around the moving street until my gaze halts at the sight of a wax candle single-handedly flickering its life away, illuminating
an entire street of darkness. And thus, my question is answered.
Light is an exceptional phenomenon. The average eye cannot perceive the dark without
it and light simply does not exist without darkness. It is this perplexing interdependen-
cy that gives artificial light its importance. 136 years ago, in 1879, a young man named
Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. It was around that time that he
confidently stated-"We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn can-
dles.” Today, this statement made by Edison summarizes the success of his invention.
Although electricity is not entirely cheap, we cannot ignore the fact that light has and
will continue to change a million lives. It has served the world by providing them with
the most basic yet important quantity-time and opportunity. The invention of artificial
light has granted humans the ability to broaden their horizons and break free from
their comfort zone. The eye was gifted the ‘art’ of seeing in the dark. Creating light in
the dark provided humans a more expensive time to think of ideas and inventions. This
was the first driving force of the importance of light in enabling the technology of the
future.

Yesterday’s future is tomorrows past. This means that the technology that was invent-
ed in the past for the future will never be the last of its kind. There will always remain an Edison or an Einstein who thrives to fabri-
cate an entirely unique and sustainable invention, that changes the way the world behaves and thinks.81 years after the incandes-
cent bulb rose to existence another brilliant man named Theodore Maiman invented the word “Photonics”. Maiman described
Photonics as the science of light. He explained that it is the technology of generating, controlling, and detecting photons that can
be used to explore the universe, cure diseases, and even to solve crimes. Scientists have been studying light for hundreds of years.
The colors of the rainbow are only a small part of the entire light wave range, called the electromagnetic spectrum. Photonics ex-
plores a wider variety of avelengths, from gamma rays to radio, including X-rays, UV and infrared light. Now, this is not exactly the
description that an average teenager would be looking for. In simpler words, Photonics is an area of study that involves the use of
radiant energy(such as light), whose fundamental element is the photon . 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 that data transmitted photonically can travel long
distances in a fraction of the time. Furthermore, visible-light and infrared 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, which truly means, Photonics is not a subject that can be addressed using simple words.

The ultimate truth is not that light and photonics are the only medium of enabling the future’s technology. The question lies deep-
er than just that. How can instruments like light and photonics be used to enforce creativity and innovative thinking amongst the
youth? As Dumbledore once stated, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on
the light.” This is the power of light and its cousin, Photonics. If we wish to convert happiness to innovation and creativity, we
must use the invention of photonics and light as our motivation and inspiration.

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