Optical Integrated Circuits: A Personal Perspective

The remarkable early success and current explosive growth of electronic integrated circuits have fascinated photonics researchers since 1969 with the prospect of similar success in optical integrated circuits. Alas, physical and economic factors have stymied their efforts. Two recent commercial optical integrated circuits may be the first points on a photonic Moore's law curve. The author presents his view of the progress of optical integrated circuits since S. E. Miller's proposal in the 1969 Bell Systems Technical Journal.