Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have built the first 500 Gigahertz (GHz) photon switch. "Our switch is more than an order of magnitude faster than any previously published result to date," said UC San Diego electrical and computer engineering professor, Stojan Radic, "That exceeds the speed of the fastest lightwave information channels in use today."
According to an article in the journal Science, switching photons at such high speeds was made possible by advances in the control of a strong optical beam using only a few photons, and by the scientists' ability to engineer the optical fiber itself with accuracy down to the molecular level.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140910093229.htm
[Abstract]: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6195/417
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday September 11 2014, @11:55AM
It's likely to enable switching and computing and previously unthinkable speeds. One has also to consider evolutionary increments to this technology.
(Score: 1) by tniemi on Thursday September 11 2014, @12:20PM
I have waited for a photonic computer as long as I have lived, and I am old.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday September 11 2014, @04:28PM
That's because it will only be released with a mainstream Linux desktop.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 11 2014, @07:40PM
so does it free WDMA links from being point-2-point only (you have to "remove" a multiplexed channel first before you can route it again)
-or-
does it "just" mean that we can get switches that don't have to translate from optical to electrical then do the routing before translating back to optical. will it use electricity to switch?