Optoelectronics is the study and application of
electronic devices that source, detect and control
light, usually considered a sub-field of
photonics. In this context,
light often includes invisible forms of radiation such as
gamma rays,
X-rays,
ultraviolet and
infrared, in addition to visible light. Optoelectronic devices are electrical-to-optical or optical-to-electrical
transducers, or instruments that use such devices in their operation.
Electro-optics is often erroneously used as a synonym, but is a wider branch of
physics that concerns all interactions between light and
electric fields, whether or not they form part of an electronic device.