Transistor for light to transform optical signal processing
Monday, April 28, 2014 - 06:31
in Physics & Chemistry
A high-performance ‘photonic transistor’ that switches light signals instead of electronic signals could revolutionize optical signal processing. Electronic transistors, which act as miniature switches for controlling the flow of electrical current, underpin modern-day microelectronics and computers, however, wires and interconnects waste considerable energy as heat. Researchers' latest photonic transistor design is based on prevalent semiconductor technology and offers attractive attributes of high switching gain, low switching power and high operating speed.