The trend to miniaturise components and systems is to see also in optics. First of all smaller and more lightweight devices are needed in communication technology for photonic networks just as in personaloriented devices, in medicine for minimal-invasive diagnostics and surgery and for point-of-care health treatment, in production technology as optical sensors in the tools and for high power laser diode optics etc. Further important reasons for miniaturisation are less power consumption, higher reliability and in many cases economy-priced fabrication.
