Silicon-based Fiber Optics
Although silicon has been widely used in a variety of electronic devices, its inability to switch light at high enough speeds has limited its usefulness in fiber optic communications. As a result, fiber optic transmission has typically relied on rare, more costly materials.
However, researchers at Intel recently reported that they have developed a silicon-based modulator capable of switching light at speeds of more than a billion cycles per second, catapulting it into the realm required for optical applications.
Initially, this technology will likely be used to speed up communications between circuit boards and computers, making the Internet run faster and enabling higher bandwidth. But, in the longer term it may prove to be a significant step in building microprocessors that transmit data within a computer at the speed of light, taking us one step closer to making quantum computing a reality.
For information: Intel Corporation, 2200 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95052; phone: 408-765-8080; fax: 408-765-9904; Web site: www.intel.com
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Daniel Burrus, one of the world's leading technology forecasters, business strategists, and author of six books
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