"Light brings the news of the universe to every corner of the globe - and it's called Photonics: the science of using the smallest waves of light to accomplish extraordinary things"
—Vice President Joe Biden at the AIM Photonics Launch
The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics focuses on the United States premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in a technology that is both essential to National security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. The Institute’s goal is to emulate the dramatic successes experienced by the electronics industry over the past 40 years and transition key lessons, processes, and approaches to the photonic integrated circuit (PICs) industry. AIM Photonics supports Small and Medium Enterprises, providing practical access and technology on-ramps for U.S. industry, government, and academic communities. We are creating a National PIC manufacturing infrastructure, widely accessible and inherently flexible to meet the challenges of the marketplace with practical, innovative solutions. UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Energy Efficiency is proud to be the West Coast Headquarters of AIM Photonics. SUNY is headquarters for AIM Photonics.
What is Photonics?
Photonics is the science of using and controlling photons, which is the smallest unit of light. Photonics allow for faster transfer of data than traditional electronic circuits. Integrated photonics allow designers and manufacturers to put thousands of photonic components (such as lasers, detectors, waveguides, modulators, electronic controls, and optical interconnects) together on a single chip, allowing capabilities that were not previously possible.
Photonics is used in a wide range of applications including: telecommunications, laser based radar, Datacom, sensing, and many others. It currently powers the Internet as we know it today. Integrated photonics provides significant reduction in size, weight, and power, and while dramatically improving performance and reliability.