Breakthrough in computer chip design eliminates wires in data transmissionSeptember 21, 2006New research available Research slated to appear in the October 2 edition of the Optical Society of America's (OSA) Optics Express will unveil that researchers have created a new laser-silicon hybrid computer chip that can produce laser beams that will make it possible to use laser light rather than wires to send data between chips, removing the most significant bottleneck in computer design. The development is a result of research at Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Commercializing the new technology may not happen before the end of the decade, but the prospect of being able to place hundreds or thousands of data-carrying light beams on standard industry chips is certain to make waves in both the communications and computer industries.
The paper describes the development of a computer chip that uses indium-phosphide-based lasers rather than electrical wires to transmit data to neighboring computer chips, promising a much higher rate of data transfer than previously possible in practical computing devices. "This is an important time of change in the field of optics," said Dr. John Bowers, director, Multidisciplinary Optical Switching Technology Center (MOST) and professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "Laying the groundwork for high-volume, fast, high- performance optical devices is crucial. The Hybrid Silicon Laser we describe in our Optics Express article allows lasers to be integrated onto a silicon substrate and paves the way for future optical communications at low cost." Optical Society of America Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size. Algae Soybean Gene Silencing Axons Fat Viral Infection Imaging technique Ecstasy Biofuel Chimpanzee Cervical Cancer Meditation Climate Warming Brain Injury Food Safety Gamma-ray Bursts Miscarriage Psoriasis Restless Legs Syndrome Nitric Oxide Wireless Water Molecules Sickle Cell Disease Stents Trastuzumab
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Related Computer Chip Current Events and Computer Chip News Articles Shift in simulation superiority Science and engineering are advancing rapidly in part due to ever more powerful computer simulations, yet the most advanced supercomputers require programming skills that all too few U.S. researchers possess. Carnegie Mellon scientists develop method for verifying safety of computer-controlled devices Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science have developed a new method for systematically identifying bugs in aircraft collision avoidance systems, high-speed train controls and other complex, computer-controlled devices, collectively known as cyber-physical systems (CPS). MIT: New material could lead to faster chips New research findings at MIT could lead to microchips that operate at much higher speeds than is possible with today's standard silicon chips, leading to cell phones and other communications systems that can transmit data much faster. The clear future of electronics A group of scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has fabricated a working computer chip that is almost completely clear -- the first of its kind. Type-1 diabetes not so much bad genes as good genes behaving badly, Stanford research shows Investigators combing the genome in the hope of finding genetic variants responsible for triggering early-onset diabetes may be looking in the wrong place, new research at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests. McGill physicists find a new state of matter in a 'transistor' McGill University researchers have discovered a new state of matter, a quasi-three- dimensional electron crystal, in a material very much like those used in the fabrication of modern transistors. Nano-sized Electronic Circuit Promises Bright View of Early Universe A newly developed nano-sized electronic device is an important step toward helping astronomers see invisible light dating from the creation of the universe. This invisible light makes up 98% of the light emitted since the "big bang," and may provide insights into the earliest stages of star and galaxy formation almost 14 billion years ago. Nanotubes grown straight in large numbers Duke University chemists have found a way to grow long, straight cylinders only a few atoms thick in very large numbers, removing a major roadblock in the pursuit of nano-scale electronics. Getting wired for terahertz computing University of Utah engineers took an early step toward building superfast computers that run on far-infrared light instead of electricity: They made the equivalent of wires that carried and bent this form of light, also known as terahertz radiation, which is the last unexploited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Carbon nanotubes outperform copper nanowires as interconnects Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a road map that brings academia and the semiconductor industry one step closer to realizing carbon nanotube interconnects, and alleviating the current bottleneck of information flow that is limiting the potential of computer chips in everything from personal computers to portable music players. More Computer Chip Current Events and Computer Chip News Articles |
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