Recent advancement on optical integrated circuits

Recent examples of optical integrated circuit (OIC) devices are reviewed together with important direction of future research activities. An OIC is a thin-film-type optical circuit designed to have a certain function by integrating a source (laser diode), functional components (switches, modulators), interconnection waveguides and detectors (photodiodes) on a single substrate. Examples of OIC devices described are matrix switches; high-speed modulators; integrated optics disk pickup devices; integrated optics detection devices for magneto-optical disk pickups; optical computing devices; integrated optics sensors; optical fiber gyroscopes; optoelectronic ICs; and nonlinear optical devices.<
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