Tracking the Origins and Emergence of Photonic Integrated Circuits

Summary form only given. The concept of integrating many photonic devices on a chip was first proposed in 1969, based on the early success of integrating electronic circuits. After 38 years, large-scale photonic integrated circuits are just now emerging as a commercial success (with the initial public stock offering of Infinera). Considerable effort is now devoted to combining the photonic and electronic components on one carrier and eventually on one chip. The story of its progress and present promise provides an excellent example of the importance of massive investments in processing technology with a focus on yield and performance.