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Lighting the Path to Exascale Computing

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YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Dec. 1, 2010 — New chip technology unveiled today by IBM integrates electrical and optical devices on the same piece of silicon, enabling computer chips to communicate using light pulses instead of electrical signals. The advance could bring exascale computers — machines 1000 times faster than today's best systems — closer to reality. The new technology, called CMOS integrated silicon nanophotonics, is the result of a decade of development at its research labs, IBM said. Integrating optical devices and functions directly onto a silicon chip enables a more than 10X improvement in...Read full article

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    Published: December 2010
    Glossary
    chip
    1. A localized fracture at the end of a cleaved optical fiber or on a glass surface. 2. An integrated circuit.
    dielectric
    Exhibiting the characteristic of materials that are electrical insulators or in which an electric field can be sustained with a minimum dispersion of power. They exhibit nonlinear properties, such as anisotropy of conductivity or polarization, or saturation phenomena.
    light
    Electromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 750 nm. In photonic applications light can be considered to cover the nonvisible portion of the spectrum which includes the ultraviolet and the infrared.
    nano
    An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
    optical
    Pertaining to optics and the phenomena of light.
    photodetector
    A photodetector, also known as a photosensor or photodiode, is a device that detects and converts light into an electrical signal. Photodetectors are widely used in various applications, ranging from simple light sensing to more complex tasks such as imaging and communication. Key features and principles of photodetectors include: Light sensing: The primary function of a photodetector is to sense or detect light. When photons (particles of light) strike the active area of the photodetector,...
    transceiver
    An instrument or system capable of both transmitting and receiving a signal.
    AmericasBusinesschipCMOSCommunicationscomputerdielectricdiffraction limitelectricalelectricityExaflopExascaleIBMIBM Researchindustrialintegrated silicon nanophotonics technologylightnanoopticalphotodetectorResearch & TechnologySensors & DetectorssiliconSolomon Assefatransceiverwavelength division multiplexerWilliam GreenYurii VlasovLasers

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