PHOTONICS DAY💡

On October 21, 1983, it was officially confirmed that the speed of light is 299,792.458 km/s. In honor of this date, October 21 was declared World Photonics Day. It began to be celebrated in 2014.

Photonics is so diverse! Lasers, science, business, industry, work, light, photons, waves, particles, quantum mechanics, energy, crystals, electronics, laser component manufacturers…

And it all revolves around the photon, a tiny particle but with a vast range of applications.

Photonics is the science of manipulating light. It includes LED lights, optical sensors, modern displays, etc.

The term ‘photon’ was coined by physical chemist Gilbert Newton Lewis in 1926. The scientist expanded on Albert Einstein’s work on the photoelectric effect, which showed that light can behave like particles or quanta. Lewis suggested that such light quanta, or parts of electromagnetic radiation, be called photons. After all, the word itself means light, or phōs in Greek.

"However, photonics as a scientific field that studies the excitation and application of electromagnetic radiation, whose quanta are photons, began to develop a bit later. And, of course, this happened with the invention of one of the most beautiful light sources we know – lasers! – in the 1960s."

Soon, other inventions followed: the laser diode, the optical fiber used for transmitting information, and the optical amplifier. These innovations laid the foundation for the telecommunications revolution at the end of the 20th century and helped create the infrastructure for the internet.

The term ‘photonics’ became firmly established in the 1970s when telecommunications network operators began using fiber optic technology.

Today, photonics is everywhere. Without its technologies, selfies would not exist. You would likely be reading this message in a newspaper, because the internet would not work without it. And think of all the medical devices, security technologies, solar energy solutions, and other everyday tools that rely on it! Essentially, imagine any modern device.

When you tap your smartphone (a device in your pocket that holds more information than all the books in all the libraries in the world) or watch your smart TV, if you to get into a self-driving car* or talk to loved ones on a video call, think about photonics.

* Photonics is a key technology for self-driving cars, enabling them to perceive their environment through sensors like LiDAR, cameras, and optical sensors.

Thank you for your support☕🫶