Photon processor. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Photonic Processor

31.12.2015

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Colorado at Boulder (USA) have developed a processor that communicates with other components of a computing system using light rather than electrons.

The 3 x 6 mm chip contains two standard computing cores with over 70 million transistors and 850 light transmission elements. It is based on the RISC-V architecture and was manufactured using traditional microelectronics materials such as silicon and germanium at a factory that mass-produces modern microcircuits.

Compared to traditional conductors, fiber optic links offer higher bandwidth, allowing more data to be transmitted at higher speeds, over longer distances, and with less loss. However, despite the fact that photonics offers obvious advantages to computing systems, the practical implementation of its principles is a rather difficult undertaking.

So far, no one has been able to integrate optical components into the complex and costly streamlined production processes that produce modern computer chips without fundamentally changing them.

The researchers' work opens the door to a new era of data-intensive applications. The nearest area of application for processors with photonic communication is data centers, where there is a problem of increasing power consumption. According to the US National Council on Natural Resources Conservation, in 2013 data centers in the US accounted for about 91 billion kilowatt-hours of energy consumption, which accounted for about 2% of the total energy consumption in the country. A new type of processor would help solve the problem of the increasing power consumption of data centers.

<< Back: Websites learn how visitors feel 01.01.2016

>> Forward: The path to a healthy heart is through the intestines. 30.12.2015

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Aircraft and climate 18.10.2002

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the skies over the United States were closed to civil aviation for three days so that airports could increase security measures.

These three days have given climatologists a unique opportunity to study the effects of high-altitude flight on the weather. One aviation-related factor that can affect the weather is contrails. Such a trace in the form of a white track occurs due to the crystallization of atmospheric moisture in the form of ice on the smallest particles of unburned fuel flying out of the aircraft's turbines.

During the three days that flights were banned, the number of such white lanes in the sky over the United States dropped sharply. On the one hand, any clouds, including traces of aircraft, make it difficult for sunlight to reach the Earth's surface, that is, they must cool the planet. On the other hand, they should also reduce the dissipation of heat into space, delaying the infrared radiation of the Earth.

Based on data from 4000 US weather stations, three days without flights over the entire territory of the country, the usual gap between day and night air temperatures has increased by more than a degree. This happened mainly due to an increase in daytime temperatures, especially over those areas of the United States where air traffic is especially intense on ordinary days. That is, the warming effect of white footprints in the sky prevails over the cooling effect.

Airplane paths now occupy 0,1 percent of the sky above the planet, and by 2050 they will capture 0,5 percent.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews