The science of photonics comprehends the generation, emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and detection/sensing of light. The term photonics thereby emphasizes that photons are neither particles nor waves — they have both particle and wave nature. It covers all technical applications of light over the whole spectrum from ultraviolet over the visible to the near-, mid- and far-infrared.
Optics and photonics technologies are central to modern life; indeed, UNESCO has recently adopted a resolution declaring 2015 to be the International Year of Light.
These technologies enable the manufacture and inspection of all the integrated circuits in every electronic device in use. They give us displays on our smartphones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the Internet, advanced precision fabrication, and medical diagnostics tools.
People do not think of Google as an optics company, but a typical Google data center has more than a million lasers in it.
Optics and photonics technology offers the potential for even greater societal impact over the next few decades. Solar power generation and new efficient lighting, for example, could transform the energy landscape, and new optical capabilities will be essential to supporting the continued exponential growth of the Internet. Optics and photonics technology development and applications have substantially increased across the globe over the past several years.
Consult Photonics patents and technology to be transfered at PhotonTransfer
Classification and number of photonics patents filed at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2013
As follows details of photonics classification followed by the total number of worldwide patents registered during 2013 at EPO.
| Total Patetent registerd at EPO (2013) | Num | Code/ Subcode | Description | ||||
| F | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING ENGINES OR PUMPS[2013-01] | ||||||
| Lighting; heating [2013-01] | |||||||
| F21 | LIGHTING (electric aspects or elements, see section H, e.g. electric light sources H01J, H01K,H05B) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 23759 | 1 | F21K | LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR [2013-01] | ||||
| 100000 | 2 | F21V | DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION [2013-01] | ||||
| Details of those parts involved in light emission or distribution (optical elements and systems in general G02B)[2013-01] | |||||||
| G | PHYSICS [2013-01] | ||||||
| Instruments [2013-01] | |||||||
| G02 | OPTICS (making optical elements or apparatus B24B, B29D11/00, C03, or other appropriate subclasses or classes; materials per se, see the relevant places, e.g. C03B, C03C) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 100000 | 3 | G02B1/00 | Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made ( compositions of optical glasses C03C3/00 ; cements for glass C03C27/00 ) [2013-01] | ||||
| 2433 | 4 | G02B6/00 | Light guides [2013-01] | ||||
| 2433 | 5 | G02B5/00 | Optical elements other than lenses ( light guides G02B6/00 ; optical logic elements G02F3/00) [2013-01] | ||||
| G02B13/00 | Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below ( with variable magnification {in general} G02B15/00 ) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 2433 | 6 | G02B13/14 | for use with infra-red or ultra-violet radiation ( { G02B13/008 , } G02B13/16 take precedence) [2013-01] | ||||
| H | ELECTRICITY [2013-01] | ||||||
| H01 | BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS [2013-01] | ||||||
| H01S | DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION [2013-01] | ||||||
| 88851 | 7 | H01S3/00 | Lasers, i.e. devices for generation, amplification, modulation, demodulation, or frequency-changing, using stimulated emission, of infra-red, visible, or ultra-violet waves ( { stimulated Brillouin or Raman effects H01S3/30 } ; semiconductor lasers H01S5/00 ) [2013-01] | ||||
| 721 | 8 | H01S4/00 | Devices using stimulated emission or wave energy other than those covered by groupsH01S1/00 or H01S3/00 , e.g. phonon maser, gamma maser [2013-01] | ||||
| 79905 | 9 | H01S5/00 | Semiconductor lasers ( { superluminescent diodes H01L33/0045 } ) [2013-01] | ||||
| H01L | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ( use of semiconductor devices for measuring G01; resistors in general H01C; magnets, inductors {in general} , transformers H01F; capacitors in general H01G; electrolytic devicesH01G9/00 ; batteries, accumulators H01M; waveguides, resonators or lines of the waveguide type H01P; line connectors, current collectors H01R; stimulated emission devices H01S; electromechanical resonators H03H; loudspeakers, microphones, gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers H04R; electric light sources in general H05B; printed circuits, hybrid circuits, casings or constructional details of electric apparatus, manufacture of assemblages of electrical components H05K; use of semiconductor devices in circuits having a particular application, see the subclass for the application ) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 57844 | 10 | H01L25/00 | Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices{; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof} ( { lead frames with assemblies of semiconductor devices thereon H01L23/49575 ; assembling semiconductor devices using processes or apparatus not provided for in a single one of the subgroups H01L21/06 to H01L21/326 , e.g. sealing of a cap to a base of a container, H01L21/50 } ; devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in or on a common substrate H01L27/00 ; assemblies of photoelectric cells H01L31/042 , { H01G9/20 } ; generators using solar cells or solar panels{H02S} ; details of complete circuit assemblies for which provision exists in another subclass, e.g. details of television receivers, see the relevant subclass, e.g. H04N; details of assemblies of electrical components in general H05K ) [2013-01] | ||||
| 100000 | 11 | H01L31/00 | Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof ( H01L51/42 takes precedence; devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in, or on, a common substrate, other than combinations of radiation-sensitive components with one or more electric light sources, H01L27/00 ; production of heat using solar heat F24J2/00 ; measurement of X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation or cosmic radiation with semiconductor detectors G01T1/24 , with resistance detectorsG01T1/26 ; measurement of neutron radiation with semiconductor detectors G01T3/08 ; couplings of light guides with optoelectronic elements G02B6/42 ; obtaining energy from radioactive sources G21H ) [2013-01] | ||||
| H01L51/00 | Solid state devices using organic materials as the active part, or using a combination of organic materials with other materials as the active part; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of such devices, or of parts thereof ( devices consisting of a plurality of components formed in or on a common substrate H01L27/28 ; thermoelectric devices using organic material H01L35/00 , H01L37/00 ; piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements using organic material H01L41/00 ) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 77964 | 12 | H01L51/50 | specially adapted for light emission, e.g. organic light emitting diodes ( OLED ) {Multistep processes for their manufacture} or polymer light emitting devices (PLED); ( organic semiconductor lasers H01S5/36 ; { circuit arrangements for OLED or PLED H05B33/0896 ; control arrangements for organic electroluminescent displays G09G3/3208 } ) [2013-01] | ||||
| 77964 | 13 | H01L33/00 | Semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof ( H01L51/50 takes precedence; devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor components formed in or on a common substrate and including semiconductor components with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, specially adapted for light emission H01L27/15 ; semiconductor lasers H01S5/00 ) [2013-01] | ||||
| H02 | GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER [2013-01] | ||||||
| H02N | ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR [2013-01] | ||||||
| 821 | 14 | H02N6/00 | Generators in which light radiation is directly converted into electrical energy (solar cells or assemblies thereof H01L25/00, H01L31/00) [2013-01] | ||||
| H05 | ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR [2013-01] | ||||||
| H05B | ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (apparatus for special application, see the relevant places, e.g. A47J, C21, C22, C23, F21, F24, F27) [2013-01] | ||||||
| 5721 | 15 | H05B31/00 | Electric arc lamps (regulating electric characteristics of arcs G05F1/02; with non-consumable electrodes H01J61/00) [2013-01] | ||||
| 53920 | 16 | H05B33/00 | Electroluminescent light sources (discharge lamps H01J61/00 to H01J65/00; semi-conductor devices with at least one particular jump barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emissionH01L27/15, H01L33/00; organic light emitting devices H01L27/32, H01L51/50; lasersH01S3/00, H01S5/00; compositions per se, see the relevant subclasses; { luminescent scales or hands G01D13/20, G01D13/28; luminescent dials G09F13/20; conductive layers on isolated substrate H01B1/00; solid state image amplifiers H01L31/14; electronic gates with electroluminescent elements H03K17/78; pulse generation with electroluminescent elementsH03K3/00}) [2013-01] | ||||