Photonic crystals - future looks bright

The conference on photonic crystals held in Canberra this month, focussed on the revolution in information and technology.

The current explosion in information technology has been derived from the ability to control the flow of electrons in a semiconductor. Photonic crystals promise to give similar control over photons - with even greater flexibility because of the greater control over the properties of photonic crystals.

Photonic crystals promise a wealth of new devices that could satisfy the demand for ever-faster computers and optical communications. According to UK scientists, basic applications for photonic-crystal circuits will soon appear in the marketplace. Some future applications may include 'diodes' and 'transistors', logic circuits, an optical computer driven by photonic crystals, synthetic opals for the jewellery and artwork markets and thin photonic-crystal films could be used as anti-counterfeit devices on credit cards.