Invited: Integrated optical circuitry

Abstract

THE USE OF solid-state and planar photolithographic technology has resulted in the fabrication of integrated electronic circuits and has considerably improved the ruggedness, compactness, reliability and cost of modern electronic equipment. Since its introduction, integrated circuitry has revolutionized the electronics industry. Following a similar technology trend microwave acoustics has recently become integrated on a surface of a solid. Many useful device and system applications of integrated acoustics have been realized with the simplicity and economic advantages of integrated circuitry. Optics seems also to be following the same trend. Integrated optics based on guided optical waves in thin films has become experimentally feasible and potentially important for future optical signal processing systems.