Guest_Jim_* Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Electronics have been serving us well for decades, but we are approaching its limits, unless we develop ways to push the envelope further. One possibility is to use light for transmitting data within computer chips, but this poses a challenge of how to effective control the light on such a small scale. Researchers at the Universities of Central Florida and Texas El Paso have found a solution using nanoscale lattices. Light likes to travel in a straight line and while a fiber optic cable can make it turn without loss, these turns must be gradual. If the turn is too tight, the light will escape the cable. The lattice the researchers built though, which resembles a honeycomb, is able to turn light without any lose. The researchers made it out of plastic using direct laser writing, which is a nanoscale 3D printing technique. While this research does represent a record for bending light beams, the researchers are now working to refine the lattice and double the record. As the researchers point out, chances are this technology will enter supercomputers before our favorite devices. Source: University of Central Florida Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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