This silicon
transmitter chip
contains integrated
hybrid silicon lasers
along with other
silicon photonic
devices to send up
to 50 Gb of data
each second.
Courtesy of Intel Corp.
Optical interconnects
will become a game
changer if we can
combine the high
data rates, reach and
integration of photonic
channels with
practical pricing.
[ COVER STORY ]
24 Integrated Silicon Photonics: Harnessing the Data Explosion
With the digital universe expanding at an exponential rate, silicon photonics is poised to
bring fiber optics to a much broader array of data transport applications. Researchers
at Intel Labs describe a fully integrated optical data link that assembles all the core
technologies needed to develop high-volume, low-cost fiber-optics.
Sean Koehl, Ansheng Liu and Mario Paniccia
30 A Roadmap for Metamaterials
Metamaterials have rapidly advanced over the past few years—from being a paradigm
for engineering unique electromagnetic properties to forming a material base for
functional devices with tuneable, switchable and nonlinear capabilities. In the future,
they will allow for dynamic quantum-effect-enabled systems.
Nikolay I. Zheludev
36 The First Fibers to Homes
Thirty-five years ago this month, Japan’s Ministry for International Trade and Industry
announced plans to build the world’s first fibered city. A two-way fiber-optic network
called the Highly Interactive Optical Visual Information (Hi-OVIS) was far ahead of its time.
Jeff Hecht
COVER PHOTO: An
optical fiber connection
is held up to the transmit
module of Intel’s 50 Gbps
silicon photonics link.
Courtesy of Intel Corp.
44 The Metamorphosis of the Transistor into a Laser
The transistor put us on the path to semiconductor electronics research. It led to the
integrated circuit, optoelectronics, light-detecting devices, diode lasers, LEDs, and
now further to the transistor laser—a true laser and three-terminal photonic transistor
active element.
