Does someone have the background to describe what's happening in the top banner illustration on that page? (https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-array-of-gray-and...) There's a repeated grid of chips, each with an integrated laser in the upper left. But what are the other components? Are the arrow shaped objects on top of the repeated squares representing light, or are they electrical lead wires? And the lower rectangular ones with 4 such arrows? And what are the brighter raised cubes on some of those squares?
I have a strange reason for asking. My wife did most of the illustrations for this article, but not that one. It was sent along as part of the information packet for her to work from, but we had trouble figuring out what it was actually showing. She asked the art director, but I wasn't sure if he was answering the right question. She eventually did a version of it, but they didn't put it in, at least yet. So I thought maybe someone here would know!
I have a strange reason for asking. My wife did most of the illustrations for this article, but not that one. It was sent along as part of the information packet for her to work from, but we had trouble figuring out what it was actually showing. She asked the art director, but I wasn't sure if he was answering the right question. She eventually did a version of it, but they didn't put it in, at least yet. So I thought maybe someone here would know!