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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

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".

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".