Towards the synthetic all-optical computer:: science fiction or reality?

The global race for the optically integrated photonic chip is driven by the prospective that miniaturization of optical devices and enhanced chip functionality may revolutionize the manufacture of optical circuits, and the futuristic dream of the all-optical computer may come true. The aim of this article is to take a brief yet critical look at some developments in microsphere self-assembly of colloidal photonic crystals and their technological potential from the perspective of research results that have recently emerged from our materials chemistry group. The focus of the discussion centers on the provocative vision of the colloidal photonic crystal micropolis, Fig. 1, which depicts the direction in which the colloidal photonic crystal research of our materials chemistry group is heading. It is intended to bring to the forefront the pointed question of whether the most recent versions of colloidal photonic crystals and their integration on chips, developed in our laboratory, can rise to the stringent specifications of structural perfection and optical quality, functionality and complexity that will be demanded for photonic crystal optical devices and optical circuits touted for next generation all-optical chip and telecommunication technologies.