Computing companies searching for more speed have started to use light to transport data inside computers instead of electricity. Now researchers have unveiled a promising scheme for using light to store information on a chip as well—even when the power is off.
Using light instead of electricity to move information between a computer’s memory and its processor could lead to much faster and more energy-efficient computers (see “Intel’s Laser Chips Could Make Data Centers Run Better”). But right now it is necessary to convert the optical signals to electrical ones and store the data electronically, which is relatively slow compared with the speed of today’s processors. The new “all-photonic” memory, which takes advantage of the same materials used in rewritable CDs and DVDs, is a step toward systems that achieve more efficient data transfer and storage, according to the technology’s inventors.
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