Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Intel Hardware

Intel Researchers Demonstrate 40Gbps Optical Chips 49

scott3778 writes "Intel Researchers announced they have successfully demonstrated a 40Gbps optical chip, an accomplishment the company says will yield cheaper photonic integrated circuits. 'chip makers have shown a keen interest in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) over the past few years because of their ability to provide a cost-effective solution for optical communication and future optical interconnects in computing industry. There are obstacles, though: One of the key components needed for silicon PICs is the very high-speed silicon optical modulator, which is used to encode data on optical beam.'"
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Intel Researchers Demonstrate 40Gbps Optical Chips

Comments Filter:
  • Silicon! (Score:5, Informative)

    by the_kanzure ( 1100087 ) on Wednesday July 25, 2007 @06:20PM (#19989245) Homepage

    There are obstacles, though: One of the key components needed for silicon PICs is the very high-speed silicon optical modulator, which is used to encode data on optical beam.
    * Historical overview of silicon crystal pulling [uni-kiel.de] [pdf]
    * Sam's Laser FAQ [drexel.edu]

    Catalyzing development. (hopefully) :)
    - Does anybody have links or papers re: manufacturing of fiber optics or very small optical beams? Would be great to have.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 25, 2007 @06:22PM (#19989277)
    Now that's something Sigbritt Löthberg (http://slashdot.org/articles/07/07/12/1236231.sht ml [slashdot.org]) needs to install on her computer to take advantage of her 40GBps internet link!
    • Sigbritt Löthberg was the envy of all the retirement home, as she consistently utilized the world's fastest internet connection to outbid everyone on Ebay.
  • I hope that these new PIC Chips fare a bit better than the last ones [slashdot.org]. They must be like the tech version of the Black Knight who Always Triumphs! Slashdot effortlessly cut the limbs off of the old PIC Chips, but the PICs are not done! Those smoldering, dead servers were just flesh wounds!
  • Definitely sounds like a good bet for getting us past Moore's Law after 2065. I think electron spin technology will carry us from 2050-2060, and quantum spooky effect chips will take us to 2075, but man, after that we're just screwed without this technology. Until 2065, though, we're just gonna have to live with million core chips suspended in a bathtub of liquid nitrogen. As long as it's cost effective!
  • by iminplaya ( 723125 ) on Wednesday July 25, 2007 @06:52PM (#19989547) Journal
    Would spinning one those color wheels [tripod.com] they use at the discos at 10,000rpm work?
  • COOL

    Isolinear chips!
  • What about the electro-optical conversions? Won't they slow things down a bit in a real-world situation?
    • Re:O-E converter (Score:4, Informative)

      by imgod2u ( 812837 ) on Wednesday July 25, 2007 @10:46PM (#19991727) Homepage
      This is actually the main problem that is solved with this solution. Traditionally, electro-optical conversion was done using discrete components. This consumed a great deal of power and also added the extra restriction that a separate, optical modulator had to be added along with the central electronic chip. It also meant that the electronic chip had to somehow send a very fast electrical signal (and all the attenuation that would occur to it) to the optical module.

      The optical IC they came up with isn't optical entirely. The internal logic is still electrical but they've managed to do a silicon-level electro-optical converter and directly send the optical signal out (I'm guessing through a microlens). This isn't likely to make internal logic (the next Pentium...wait they don't use that name anymore) calculate faster, but it'll be interesting to see this used as a RAM interface, for instance, or for multi-processor interconnect.
      • The part that's difficult is the speed divide between electronics and optics. Not to mention the OOK scheme used is incredibly broadband (perfect square waves theoretically have infinite odd harmonics). Due to finite rise/fall times, the number of harmonics you need to reproduce the waveform is non-infinite, but still pretty large to be a PITA. Eg. a 2.4GHz signal = 2.4GHz, 7.2GHz, 12GHz, 16.8GHz, etc.
        It's pretty difficult to make a lot of microwave components (circulators, etc.) be this broadband!
  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 25, 2007 @10:19PM (#19991463)
    I mean how the hell am I gonna overclock light?
    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      I mean how the hell am I gonna overclock light?

      Immerse it in lead and then run it on Xrays. Duh.
    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      And now the Modders and Overclockers are set to polarise into two distinct communities - those who try to improve performance by reducing light-leakage, and those who prettify the setup by mounting a spinning disco-ball in their many-windowed case and grinding a refractive biohazard symbol into the top of their CPU...
      • Don't forget the group that will ever so carefully remove the opaque plastic body surrounding their optical chips so that they can encase them in acrylic and watch the processing.
  • The PIC acronym is already taken but they definitely don't do 40gHz!
  • People in the communications business know not to bet against electronics. Optics are very useful for long distance communications, but for several reasons the technology in the linked article will not make a new CPU nor will it be a chip-to-chip interconnect.

    This technology will be useful for integrating lasers into signal-processing chips.

    Also, would the editors kindly link to the original Intel post? The Gearlog story adds absolutely nothing.

  • The current crop of optical chips are a mix of electron & photon devices. I wonder if totally optical chips could be possible. Is that viable? or desirable?

If A = B and B = C, then A = C, except where void or prohibited by law. -- Roy Santoro

Working...