Intel has found a cheap way to implement a fast interface between light and electricity that could make optical links between devices of all scales far more common. The shift from electronics to photonics could be more far-reaching than Intel's move to 64bit x86 computing. It means optical 'wire', capable of passing terabytes per second, can replace hard-wired links in system buses, home and small-office networks, and even within chips. The high cost of optical components means their use is currently confined mainly to fibre-optic backbones and high-end server links. Intel says it should now be able to mass- produce them like processors.
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