Intel has developed a device, called the Avalance Photodetector (APD), that will boost optical communication speeds to get devices to communicate faster. The APD senses light pulses and amplifies output signals for faster data transfer over long distances.
Researchers claim that this is a big advancement in the field of silicon photonics, where silicon is used to transfer light pulses for data exchange between chips and devices. Technologies like APDs could enable high-bandwidth applications like 3D virtual reality and telemedicine.
APD can detect light at higher frequencies and moves data at rates of 40Gbps, an advancement over earlier photodetectors. It also uses less electrical power than standard photodetectors. Another plus is that the APD is made of standard silicon material, instead of a more expensive alternative like indium phosphide.
In the future, APD could be used by telecommunication providers to amplify long-distance phone calls. For now, we’ll have to stick with what we have because the APD is still in development as additional research is needed.
Well done! And well said! Bravo and kudos to Shaila Luther for writing about a complex, highly technical subject and making it clear.
I read an article on the very same subject on the TG Daily site (via Google Tech News), and only had a vague idea about what the new chips do. Thinking it’s because it’s late, and I’m up sick in the middle of the night was affecting my senses. But I sensed that relief, intellectual, anyway, was nigh, and clicked on the link to Luther’s article. I can now sleep slightly better.
Thank you for some “old-school” journalism: Clear, concise, with “who what when where why in the first couple of paragraphs. No spelling or grammar errors either, I see them on “reputable” web sites all to often, and it just reeks of carelessness.
Keep up the good work, Luther and Crunchgear, I’ll be back.
Please make sure her editor sees this comment.
Zippy
this isnot about silicon