Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana recently developed a way to produce extremely tiny optical fibers that could be used in the next generation of optical switches and computers.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana recently developed a way to produce extremely tiny optical fibers that could be used in the next generation of optical switches and computers.
The technology enables the production of simple and cheap optical components,
which handle signals traveling on fibers less than one micron wide.
This can be used in futuristic components such as micro-lasers, switches
optical, optical transistors and tunnel laser, and may also be
The basis for new types of networks and computing devices. The technique can
To be used in optical integrated circuits, which will be the building blocks for computers
The optics have the ability to perform calculations hundreds of times faster than
Today's electronic integrated circuits.
The researchers created optical WACEGUIDE T inside photonic crystals,
known as 3-D PHOTONIC BAND GAP materials that use a laser beam
which writes the wavelength inside the silicon crystal. A laser beam is focused inside
The crystal forms uniform balls of silicon that were previously made by monomer
Photoreactive liquid.
As its focus point the laser creates a 3-D pattern inside the crystal
By turning the liquid monomer into a solid polymer, which defines the shape
the wave In the experiment, the researchers managed to reach a bandwidth of 1.58 microns.
The writing process is simpler and cheaper than other techniques, in which
produce optical waves, and which require the construction of the waves in another layer
layer.
