Integrated photonics, its physics, development and how it will change the future with Professor Martijn Heck

This episode has been recorded at Technical University Eindhoven.
In this information-packed episode, Samantha and Professor Martijn Heck discussed photonic integration. Professor Heck started by explaining how integrated photonics developed out of photonics, his role in pioneering this technology, how it rose up in  California, and the role of Intel back then. Then we discussed the inner workings and fabrication of an integrated photonic circuit which relies heavily on solid-state physics. Furthermore, we discussed the link between photonics and quantum computing and why these fields should collaborate and discuss roadmaps together which is why the Hendrik Casimir Institute has been founded. Then we discussed the implications of exponential technologies, where the integrated circuit is a well-known example,  and what the exponential roadmap of integrated photonics looks like. Finally, Professor Heck discussed how integrated photonics needs people that are both knowledgeable in physics and electrical engineering end ended with a book recommendation called 'the singularity'.

Martijn Heck is an Electrical Engineering professor in the Photonics Integration group at Technical University Eindhoven and Scientific Director of the Eindhoven Hendrik Casimir Institute.  Additionally, he founded the Photonics Integrated Circuits group at Aarhus University in Denmark and is still a part-time group leader there.