silicon photonics

silicon photonics (uncountable)

1. The technology discipline related to production of optical switching electronic devices using integrated circuit manufacturing technology
   • 2005 October, Mario Paniccia, Sean Koehl, “The Silicon Solution”, in IEEE Spectrum‎:

     Here's a better way: replace the copper with optical fiber and the electrons with photons. That's the promise of silicon photonics: affordable optical communications for everything. It will let manufacturers build optical components using the same semiconductor equipment and methods they use now for ordinary integrated circuits, thereby dramatically lowering the cost of photonics.