I just discussed with a friend about a non-optic "side aspect" of POET, and I found this quite interesting to share with all of you:
Please google about solar flares, especially about the Solar storm of 1859, the Carrington Event.
With these facts in mind you can easily evaluate the catastrophic consequences of such an event in the modern world. And a major impact would be the effect on all Si-semiconductors which just would be fried. The often discussed EMP-bombs (nuclear bombs blasting in high altitude of the athmospere) would be just chickenshit compared to such a flare. Now - such an event is said to occur statistically about every 500 years, which is at first view a long timespan. But knowing about statistics you can evaluate the probability that such an event would happen today. (By the way, 2012 we nearly had such a flair!, It luckily misse earth!). And suddenly all this sounds quite freightening, right?
Nowadays I guess noone really talks about this issue (besides some groups inside defence and homeland security), as mankind does not really have an alternative to Si-semiconductors - up to now.
Now imagine POET not only can help to replace copper in datacom by inexpensive (by the way also radiation hardened) AOC, but can show that Si can be replaced in all logic and memory chips by GaAs, which then are "radiation hardened"! I dare to predict that industry worldwide would soon be forced to replacethe Si-chips of all key sectors of technology. Olala, a nice market!
