Development and application prospect of photonic integrated circuits

Because the technical process is reaching its limits, the development of integrated circuits has entered the slow zone, which makes people gradually pay more attention to the new generation of integrated technology—photonic integrated circuits (PIC). To give readers a general idea of PIC, this paper will first introduce the basic knowledge of photonic integrated circuits and compare photonic integrated circuits with traditional integrated circuits (IC) from different points of view, including their development history, properties, components, and potential. After that, some current technical innovations in optical communication, optical computing, and photonic quantum applications and development trends of photonic integrated circuits will be reviewed. Finally, three novel and promising technologies will be introduced to discuss how to solve the major challenge of improving integration. This work is not only a comprehensive and concise summary of the development of photonic integrated circuits so far but also an active exploration of solutions to the major challenges facing people in this field.