Chip Using Light for Data Transfer – A Novel Technology

Researchers developed a unique variety of chip that uses light for the transfer of data. Research workers including Indian researchers share the credit of developing the microprocessor chip, which uses light instead of electricity for transferring data at express speed by using minimum amount of energy.

The technology is expected to create a novel skill for faster and more powerful networking communications and computing systems. Miles Popovic, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA expressed that integrated circuits with light based technology have the power to bring in radical changes in network chip design and computing for application right from smartphones to supercomputers and also to large data centers. Computer technologists have already taken up the same work awaiting the introduction of the novel technology. It is a common knowledge that the conventional microprocessors chip that is found in laptops and in supercomputers uses electricity as the source of energy for the communication and for the transfer of information with one another.

In recent time, there has been an upward trend in the demand of electricity power for the maintenance of the ever-growing sped and volume of data transfer requirements, which is becoming a limiting issue everywhere. Scientists and researchers in this field are trying to overcome the impediment such as Rajesh Kumar of University of Colorado Boulder, USA, who has turned to photonics, the light-based technique. It is advantageous to use light-based technology in sending information, which reduces the energy burden of the microchip as same amount of light power is used for sending information across longer distances.