Silicon is the lifeblood of electronics today, but in the photonics world — the world of lasers and fiber optic transport — it has had to play second fiddle to more exotic substances like indium phosphide and gallium arsenide. Researchers, though, are working to change that orchestration and reap the enormous benefits silicon photonics would create for computers and computer networks. Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs recently announced a development that appears to bring the marriage of silicon and photonics closer to mainstream reality.
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Silicon and Optics: Hybridizing for Top Performance
Posted by: John P. Mello Jr. March 28, 2007 04:00 AMSilicon is the lifeblood of electronics today, but in the photonics world — the world of lasers and fiber optic transport — it has had to play second fiddle to more exotic substances like indium phosphide and gallium arsenide. Researchers, though, are working to change that orchestration and reap the enormous benefits silicon photonics would create for computers and computer networks. Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs recently announced a development that appears to bring the marriage of silicon and photonics closer to mainstream reality.