Light Driven Computing

[linnemeyerhere]

The speed of light is as fast as it gets, and IBM researchers are exploiting that fact to give supercomputers a boost. They’ve made the smallest-yet silicon chips that use light to transmit information.
Most parts of the chip resemble those found on any other commercial chip. The parts that process or transform information—in other words, the parts that do the actual computing—still deploy electrons moving through semiconductor gates. But the interconnects, the lines that shuttle information between different areas within a chip, are drastically different. Instead of shuttling electrons, which can slow down significantly when the interconnects heat up, they shuttle light. That’s because light is easy to contain and loses less information as it travels. The researchers hope that this quick communication will make possible the first exascale computers—that is, computers that can perform a billion billion computations per second, 1,000 times as fast as today’s speediest systems.
To read more please see this link:
How It Works: The Light-Driven Computer | Popular Science

 

[mr pc]

I'm surprised this wasn't developed sooner with fiber optics being around for some time......or has it?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

mr pc,
Not sure but it seems that the technologies at this microscopic level are relatively new.

 

[Everlong]

There was another thread here about photonic/quantum computing http://www.sevenforums.com/news/111788-quantum-computing-chip-built.html.

Very interesting though. Will be amazing once it's developed properly.

 

[michaelst]

So, will we be able to overclock it?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Yes I see a market for sending more juice to the lasers.....lol to speed up the light ??

 

[Dave76]

:roflmao:Speed up the light

The new Motto: Come to the light

 

[linnemeyerhere]

So what if we bend some rules of physics as we know them. Rules as they say are meant to be broken.

 

[Everlong]

You'd just be sending all your data in to the future in the process.

 

[Lordbob75]

But the dark side has cookies...

~Lordbob

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Milk to go with the cookies as well but of course it's chocolate milk.....

 

[severedsolo]

But the dark side has cookies...

~Lordbob

They also have a better gym.

 

[Layback Bear]

Yes fiber optics has been around awhile, 1880. Transmitting light through a channel of some kind.
The Birth of Fiber Optics

 

[Dave76]

Interesting article, thanks.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Layback Bear,
This isn't really fiber optics but yes light transmission. Laser beams and silicon chips is no longer the dream team it's coming in some configuration soon. Technologies just blow my mind and it's so fun to stay up with them but by the time we learn of them they've been in Military, Space or Avionics applications for years.......still fun.

Dave76,
You're most welcome.
Here's to everyones laser lights shinning long, bright and straight ! the Cheese

 

[Layback Bear]

I agree it is not fiber optics but the though of transmitting information on a light beam started a long time ago. Which makes me wonder why it's taking so long to get it into computer technology. Their are some people doing bacteria studies for computing.
Genetically modified bacteria used as logic gates for biological computers | RobAid
Just another good read. A little off subject but still shows the direction computing might go.

 

[seekermeister]

So what if we bend some rules of physics as we know them. Rules as they say are meant to be broken.

If a "rule" can be broken or bent, it is not a rule of physics. At best, it is a theory. Of course, too often theories are mistaken for rules, or all of the rules just aren't known.

 

[Commodore Pet]

Warp 9 Processor anyone?

 

[MadSupra354]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds too futuristic

 

[DustSailor]

Hey, having a computer process what you want before you want it, nuthin wrong with that

Might even attach a coffee maker to the side and make it a do-it-all...
Can't function without that coffee maker

With technology advacing as fast as it is, it just isn't advancing fast enough, if you know what I mean:devil: