5 ms·

> The current work allows for optical switches that take up much less space than previous attempts. This advance opens the way for direct on-chip integration as

> The current work allows for optical switches that take up much less space than previous attempts. This advance opens the way for direct on-chip integration as well as super-resolution imaging. Nanoseconds are still infinitely slower than "instant" that you can get with destructive interference. That thing is no faster than a modern fet.

datameta 6y ago
Why the pessimism? This is a massive incremental leap that seems likely to be interated upon. Before this paper I thought there was hardly a chance for photonic circuits using silicon - now it looks rather achievable! Do you foresee some sort of nanoscale constraint?
- baybal2 6y ago
  The thing is we already have constructive/destructive interference as a foundation for optical logic. The second laser source in their scheme is what is driven electronically. Turning a laser on, and off, on nanoseconds scale, is not that easy, or smart thing to do. So, why would you do a CW modulation of the laser to modulate another laser, if you can modulate that second laser directly? MZI modulators are extremely simple, small in comparison to just any existing optical computing devices, and, most importantly, already on the way to mass manufacturing for use in a single beam 100G ethernet.
  - sandworm101 6y ago
    You modulate laser A with laser B for the same reason, on a chip transistor, you modulate current A with current B. The end goal is to power a series of switches/circuits from a small number of powered lasers external to the chip.
    - baybal2 6y ago
      Yeah, but why if you can have a single laser for the entire device?
  - suifbwish 6y ago
    With the correct materials, in theory you could slow down light enough to control its flow through a circuit with a series of nano reflective materials and its overall carrying capacity for speed of information would far outmatch electrons which require a medium to travel through which ultimately renders it many times slower than the speed of light depending on the properties of the material. Even super conductors have a far greater resistance for an electron than a room full of air would on a the flow of a photon. If I had to venture the guess I would say we mastered the electron as we could control and produce it very easily, we have just begin to explore the exotic nature of photons and the potential impacts on technology they may hold
    - bastawhiz 6y ago
      > With the correct materials, in theory you could slow down light enough to control its flow through a circuit with a series of nano reflective materials and its overall carrying capacity for speed of information would far outmatch electrons which require a medium to travel through which ultimately renders it many times slower than the speed of light depending on the properties of the material. That's an extremely load-bearing "in theory".
andbberger 6y ago
Destructive interference may be instantaneous, but a measurement of such certainly isn't. In the low luminance shot noise limited regime it might be significant.
- baybal2 6y ago
  This can be used as a low pass filter against shot noise, but so can be a purely electronic device, which will do it without an extra laser, and do it better. As for amplification role, 2 nanoseconds would too be too bad in comparison to existing optical amplifier, for which bandwidth is practically unlimited (many terrahertz.) As for its utility as a more compact alternative to optical amplifiers for use cases where you don't need much bandwidth, you still have that second laser input, instead of which you could've put a still much smaller electronic amplifier, which would still be needed for the final optical->electrical conversion.
suifbwish 6y ago
The first cars were slower than horses however that is no longer the case. The prototype is not the point, it’s what can be achieved from developing the technology. It will eliminate bottlenecks in places too tiny to place a modern fet
- dvh 6y ago
  Green light is 500nm. We are already at 5nm with current commercial electronic circuits. In integration light will never beat the electrons. It will never be faster. You won't put more gates on chip.
  - MikeSchurman 6y ago
    Do we need to use visible light? Often when speaking of light people mean the entire electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays can be 10 picometers, but would that be too much energy?
  - lm28469 6y ago
    > We are already at 5nm Not that it matters a lot but this is marketing, there is nothing physically measuring 5nm on a die
  - m4rtink 6y ago
    But what about other aspects, such as for example radiation hardening for electronic devices used in space ? Would this make them more or less susceptible to radiation ?

datameta 6y ago

Why the pessimism? This is a massive incremental leap that seems likely to be interated upon. Before this paper I thought there was hardly a chance for photonic circuits using silicon - now it looks rather achievable! Do you foresee some sort of nanoscale constraint?

baybal2 6y ago
The thing is we already have constructive/destructive interference as a foundation for optical logic. The second laser source in their scheme is what is driven electronically. Turning a laser on, and off, on nanoseconds scale, is not that easy, or smart thing to do. So, why would you do a CW modulation of the laser to modulate another laser, if you can modulate that second laser directly? MZI modulators are extremely simple, small in comparison to just any existing optical computing devices, and, most importantly, already on the way to mass manufacturing for use in a single beam 100G ethernet.
- sandworm101 6y ago
  You modulate laser A with laser B for the same reason, on a chip transistor, you modulate current A with current B. The end goal is to power a series of switches/circuits from a small number of powered lasers external to the chip.
  - baybal2 6y ago
    Yeah, but why if you can have a single laser for the entire device?
- suifbwish 6y ago
  With the correct materials, in theory you could slow down light enough to control its flow through a circuit with a series of nano reflective materials and its overall carrying capacity for speed of information would far outmatch electrons which require a medium to travel through which ultimately renders it many times slower than the speed of light depending on the properties of the material. Even super conductors have a far greater resistance for an electron than a room full of air would on a the flow of a photon. If I had to venture the guess I would say we mastered the electron as we could control and produce it very easily, we have just begin to explore the exotic nature of photons and the potential impacts on technology they may hold
  - bastawhiz 6y ago
    > With the correct materials, in theory you could slow down light enough to control its flow through a circuit with a series of nano reflective materials and its overall carrying capacity for speed of information would far outmatch electrons which require a medium to travel through which ultimately renders it many times slower than the speed of light depending on the properties of the material. That's an extremely load-bearing "in theory".

andbberger 6y ago

Destructive interference may be instantaneous, but a measurement of such certainly isn't. In the low luminance shot noise limited regime it might be significant.

baybal2 6y ago
This can be used as a low pass filter against shot noise, but so can be a purely electronic device, which will do it without an extra laser, and do it better. As for amplification role, 2 nanoseconds would too be too bad in comparison to existing optical amplifier, for which bandwidth is practically unlimited (many terrahertz.) As for its utility as a more compact alternative to optical amplifiers for use cases where you don't need much bandwidth, you still have that second laser input, instead of which you could've put a still much smaller electronic amplifier, which would still be needed for the final optical->electrical conversion.

suifbwish 6y ago

The first cars were slower than horses however that is no longer the case. The prototype is not the point, it’s what can be achieved from developing the technology. It will eliminate bottlenecks in places too tiny to place a modern fet

dvh 6y ago
Green light is 500nm. We are already at 5nm with current commercial electronic circuits. In integration light will never beat the electrons. It will never be faster. You won't put more gates on chip.
- MikeSchurman 6y ago
  Do we need to use visible light? Often when speaking of light people mean the entire electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays can be 10 picometers, but would that be too much energy?
- lm28469 6y ago
  > We are already at 5nm Not that it matters a lot but this is marketing, there is nothing physically measuring 5nm on a die
- m4rtink 6y ago
  But what about other aspects, such as for example radiation hardening for electronic devices used in space ? Would this make them more or less susceptible to radiation ?