"Photonic network systems" could relay signals around the globe with pico-second switching times. "We've demonstrated a new class of materials which meets the engineering needs of future photonic networks," says University of Toronto's Ted Sargent.
If -- as Einstein proclaimed -- nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, then a supercharged Internet based entirely on light might be a great way to move mounting reams of digital data. At least that's what Canadian researchers are saying in a newly published paper in the journal Nano Letters. Using nanotechnology, the research team has shown how to use one laser beam to direct another with unprecedented control -- a feature they say future fiber-optic networks will require.
The Gap
"This finding showcases the power of nanotechnology: to design and create purpose-built custom materials from the molecule up," said research team leader Ted Sargent, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Toronto (UT). Using light to control light has existed only in theory before, Sargent said.
News source: NewsFactor
