Fotonisation

Fotonisation is a term used in physics and engineering to denote the deliberate generation, amplification, or encoding of photons within a system. It describes a range of processes that increase the photonic content of a state, whether by emitting light, converting energy or information into photons, or enhancing the interaction between matter and light. In practice, fotonisation covers several mechanisms. Optical pumping raises a material to excited electronic or vibrational states, from which photons are emitted as it relaxes. Coherent light sources rely on stimulated emission to produce directed, phase-correlated photons, as in lasers and single-photon emitters. Nonlinear optical processes such as parametric down-conversion or four-wave mixing generate photons from higher-energy fields or convert photons to other frequencies. In quantum technologies, fotonisation also includes converting non-photonic excitations into photonic qubits and routing photons through integrated circuits for communication or computation.

The concept finds use in imaging, spectroscopy, optical communications, quantum networks, and sensing. It informs design choices about efficiency, spectral properties, coherence, and indistinguishability of photons, as well as the integration of photonic components with electronic systems. Researchers study routes to maximize photon yield, control emission timing and direction, and preserve quantum coherence across platforms.

Terminology around fotonisation is not uniformly standardized. In some disciplines it is used as a descriptive umbrella for photon-generation-related processes, while others prefer more specific terms such as photon generation, photonic conversion, or optical pumping to avoid ambiguity.