Overview
Lasers. Infrared scanners. 3D printers. These innovations from cutting-edge optical science have transformed defense and intelligence work along with countless industries. And as the United States works to maintain its lead in developing disruptive technologies like quantum computing and advanced sensing, sophisticated optical devices and photonic science will play essential roles.
But for the U.S. to uphold its optical science leadership over nations such as China and Germany, which are rapidly advancing in this sphere, analysts and policymakers must understand the global optical science landscape. What are the key infrastructure requirements to manufacture advanced optical devices? Where does the U.S. face potential trade and manufacturing chokepoints? How might other economic constraints alter the future of optical materials manufacturing and research?
Questions like these led NSDPI researchers to investigate the advanced materials, infrastructure, and manufacturing methods central to the development of advanced optical devices and technology. In addition to a high-level introduction to the different fields of optical science, this study assesses how the field of advanced light control is changing with global competition, economic shifts, and new developments in interoperability.
This gives analysts and policymakers a useful primer in understanding the present and future of advanced optical devices.
Key Takeaways
- The infrastructure required to support high-resolution 3D printers, nanofabrication labs, and cleanrooms needed for advanced photonic technology is costly and complex. While the U.S. leads in photonic innovation, infrastructure shortages in the West are allowing China to catch up.
- Adding to these infrastructure challenges, a lack of undergraduate training programs and skilled photonic engineers threatens U.S. capacity to meet labor demand in this critical space—even as the U.S. offers the highest compensation for photonics professionals globally.
- The next generation of disruptive advancements in photonics will likely combine materials and components sourced across the world and be accelerated by using AI and ML in the modeling and design of this optical technology. The U.S. has a well-established lead in facilities, equipment, and trained experts in this field, but China is the global leader in sourcing and developing photonic materials like silicon.