Photonics Breakthrough Could Lead to Even Faster Electronics

Photonics Breakthrough Could Lead to Even Faster Electronics
Oct-08-13
A new technology that allows microprocessors to communicate using light instead of wires could usher in a generation of extremely fast and efficient computers.

The new system uses light to send information and communicate with transistors on a single chip, significantly reducing the amount of power needed to operate the microprocessors. Currently, that large amount of energy is the limiting factor in microelectronics, and turning the dense array of transistors off and on can causes an excessive build-up of heat.

Led by Milos Popovic, the team created two optical modulators that can be manufactured within the same processes currently used to build electronic microprocessors. According to Popovic, integrating the manufacturing within the existing infrastructure will help to make optical communication a more viable option for microprocessors.

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[INHABITAT.COM]
[PHYS ORG]
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