Photonics

What is the Photon Era?

The 21^st century will be the century of the photon, just as the 20^th century was the century of the electron. Photons have unique properties that give them an advantage over electrons. Not only are they massless, but they are also ultrafast, moving at the speed of light. You can direct and focus light (using lenses), without any physical contact, which is not the case with electrons.

Another advantage is that photons are free of electrical charge, which means they can be used in dangerous areas where a spark would otherwise initiate an explosion. For this reason photonics-based sensors can improve safety in oil and gas environments.

Some examples of the applications of photonics include in fiber optics to facilitate high-speed global communication, light bulbs, where LEDs are up to 85% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, infrared sensors and car manufacturing, which uses high-powered lasers.

What are some of the future applications in the Photonics field?

Photons will make possible what we cannot achieve today even with the best electronics components available. Consider three applications of infrared sensors. With bio-photonics for life sciences and healthcare, we are looking at how new sensors could more quickly detect cancer and other diseases, through analyzing what is emitted by your breath.

Secondly, in terms of the environment, today it is very hard to analyze outside pollution compounds. If we could detect these with infrared we could analyze air pollution faster and more cost-effectively.

Third, there are applications in terms of safety. At airports for example, in the future we could use infrared sensing to detect hidden weapons, which will makes flights safer.

How might this new technology enable growth for Air Liquide and the global gas market?

The global market for photonics is expected to grow 6-7% annually over the next five years, with some niche markets growing even faster. If we look at all photonic sensors, including LEDs, almost all of these need pure gases, specialty gases, specialized equipment and expertise, all of which Air Liquide can provide. And with our new ultra high purity ammonia plant in Jiangsu province, China, we are well positioned to be the best gas partner for LED players. We will also leverage on our new helium sourcing contract with Qatar II, especially for the fiber optic market.