ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Photonic integrated circuit

Okay kiddo, so you know how we use computers and phones to talk to people and see pictures on screens, right? Well, those devices use things called circuits to make them work.

Now, a photonic integrated circuit is a special type of circuit that uses light instead of electricity to do its job. Think about a flashlight - when you turn it on, it uses batteries to create light that you can see. A photonic integrated circuit works the same way, except that it uses lasers to create a very powerful and precise beam of light.

This beam of light can be used to do lots of things - like sending messages through fiber optic cables, helping doctors see inside the human body, or even powering spacecraft!

So why is it called integrated? Well, you know how a puzzle has lots of little pieces that fit together to make something bigger? A photonic integrated circuit is kind of like that - it's made up of lots of tiny components that work together to create the final product.

Overall, a photonic integrated circuit is a really cool technology that lets us use the power of light to do incredible things.
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