The future of ultra-fast computers lies in the hands of emerging technologies, as proven by Intel’s advancement in the field of silicon photonics. Intel researchers have announced a successful step toward obtaining record-breaking performance for future computers, well improved compared to commercially available optical devices and for lesser costs.

Ultra-fast transfers will play an essential role in the processor cores of the future, Intel said, and the silicon photonics technology represents an essential element in delivering high-speed mainstream computing at lower costs.

The technology is based on silicon-based Avalanche Photodetector (APD), and reflects Intel’s commitment to developing faster technologies, such as silicon modulators and hybrid silicon lasers. The company explained that such technologies will become the starting point for creating new digital machines capable of far superior performances than what we have available today.

“This research is another example of how silicon can be used to create very high-performing optical devices,” Mario Paniccia, Ph.D., Intel Fellow and director of Intel’s Photonics Technology Lab, explained. “In addition to optical communication, these silicon-based APDs could also be applied to other areas such as sensing, imaging, quantum cryptography or biological applications,” he further added.

Paniccia explained the necessity of silicon photonics through the advancements in technology. As we continue to increase the processing power of our CPUs, and switch from single core, to multi-core and even quad-core, the future will probably bring tens or hundreds of cores, which raises one big question: how to get data in and out of these cores.

But if we would be looking at an optical solution for that, it would prove to be much too expensive, Paniccia said. If optical fibers get to be replaced by small silicon chips, and we could start and end communication on silicon chips, the information will be sent easier and faster whether on long or short distances. “It’s a completely different way of re-architecting the platform,” Paniccia pointed out.

The necessity of improving performance and communication speed also demands the solution to be low cost and high volume manufacturable. And the way to do that is by building optical devices and optical technology based on silicon.

Intel researchers, in collaboration with Prof. Joe Campbell of the University of Virginia, and Prof. John Bowers of the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as NOR, NAND, RAM and phase change non-volatile memory technology manufacturer Numonyx, have managed to achieve a “gain-bandwidth product” of 340 GHz, the best result so far.

The performance was possible with the help of a silicon-based APD, which is a light sensor that achieves superior sensitivity by detecting light and amplifying weak signals as light is directed through the silicon, Intel explained.

The company is planning on continuing the development of silicon photonics devices, which so far have proven far superior to traditional optical materials.