Physics of Moscow State University have created a device that allows to download thousands of movies per second – BBC

16.10.2015, 14:46

Russian physicists from the Moscow State University have developed a photonic switch operating on silicon nanostructures. In the future, this device can be used to create supercomputers, relaying information with great speed – one that allows to download thousands of movies per second. Relevant Article published in the journal Nano Letters.

This development relates to the field of photonics. The main objective of this discipline – the same as that of electronics, ie the creation of instruments and devices for the reception, transmission, processing and storage of information. Photonics is different from electronics that uses electrons instead of light quanta – photons. Their main advantage is that they hardly interact with each other and with the environment in which the subject, and therefore more preferable to transmit information.

Established by Russian physicists of the device is a disc with a diameter not exceeding 250 nm. Scientists call it the photonic switch – on the disc sent two laser pulse, which, thanks to the presence in the silicon nanoparticles of magnetic resonances interact with each other. If the pulses arrive simultaneously, one of them reacts with the second and quenches it due to the effect of two-photon absorption. If the pulses are separated by a short pause duration of 100 femtoseconds – 1 femtosecond is one millionth of a billionth of a second – the interaction does not occur, and the second pulse passes through the nanostructure is not changing.

Lead author Maxim Scherbakov comments: “We managed to develop a framework which also nullified the role of free media. The free media – that is, electrons and holes – in integrated photonics devices traditionally impose severe restrictions on speed signal conversion. Our work represents an important step for the development of active photonic devices – gates, transistors. Features of technology applied by us in our development, allow now to use it in circuits silicon integrated photonics ».

The unit will create a device information transmission and processing, working with great speed – one that will allow download thousands of feature films per second.