Researchers Unveil Hollow Optics Cable with Near-Light Speed Data Transfer
Researchers at the University of Southampton in England have reportedly created a hollow optical fiber cable, with a vacuous center, which is then able to transmit data at 73.7 terabits per second (approximately 10TB/s). This is about 99.7 per cent of the speed of light!
Researchers at the University of Southampton in England have reportedly created a hollow optical fiber cable, with a vacuous center, which is then able to transmit data at 73.7 terabits per second (approximately 10TB/s). This is about 99.7 per cent of the speed of light!
SEM (scanning electron microscope) image of the fabricated hollow optic fiber cable and its cut-back loss comparison. (Image Source: Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton)
Traditionally, optical fiber cables are made of glass or plastic but those materials actually slow down the transmission of light or photons that carry the data signals. Researchers at the University of Southampton in England have hollowed out such a cable, and create a vacuous center where the photons can travel at 99.7% of the speed of light. In order to overcome signal degradation due to interference, the researchers have improved the hollow core design by using an ultra-thin photonic-bandgap rim.
This new design improves data loss to a manageable 3.5dB/km; however, it wouldn't be replacing normal optic fiber cables yet as the new cable is more suited for data transmission over very short distances in instances such as supercomputer interconnects or server clusters located in data centers.
(Source: Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton via ExtremeTech)
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