In a new vision for the future, the researchers at IBM have developed a prototype optical chip called as “Holey Optochip”, that can transfer data at 1Tbps (terabit per second), which is equivalent of downloading 500 high-definition movies, including light pulses. The chip is a “parallel optical transceiver containing both a transmitter and a receiver, which is made in order to handle the large amount of data created and transmitted.
Scientists at IBM labs developed the Holey by fabricating 48 holes through a standard 90-nanometer silicon CMOS chip, the company said. The holes allow optical access through the back of the chip to 24 receiver and 24 transmitter channels. The module is constructed with components that are commercially available, throwing open the possibility of manufacturing it at economies of scale. The scientists will report on the prototype on Thursday at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference in Los Angeles.
