Photonics Moves Closer To Chip


Silicon photonics is resurfacing after more than a decade in the shadows, driven by demands to move larger quantities of data faster, using extremely low power and with minimal heat. Until recently, much of the attention in photonics focused on moving data between servers and storage. Now there is growing interest at the PCB level and in heterogeneous multi-chip packages. Government, academi... » read more

System Bits: Jan. 5


Faster quantum dot entanglement Due to entanglement between distant quantum objects being an important ingredient for future information technologies, ETH Zurich researchers have developed a method with which such states can be created a thousand times faster than before. [caption id="attachment_24629" align="alignright" width="300"] In two entangled quantum objects the spins are in a super... » read more

System Bits: Dec. 15


Building chips skyscraper style With the aim of boosting electronic performance by factor of a thousand, a team of researchers led by Stanford University engineers have created a skyscraper-like chip design, based on materials more advanced than silicon. For many years, computer systems have been designed with processors and memory chips laid out like single-story structures in a suburb whe... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Oct. 20


Memristors come in threes The race is on to produce a commercial memristor, and a duo from ETH Zurich may be providing a bit more push. "Basically, memristors require less energy since they work at lower voltages," explained Jennifer Rupp, professor in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich. "They can be made much smaller than today's memory modules, and therefore offer much greater de... » read more

Chasing After Quantum Dots


In the 1980s, researchers stumbled upon a tiny particle or nanocrystal with unique electrical properties. These mysterious nanocrystals, which are based on semiconductor materials, were later named quantum dots. Quantum dots were curiosity items until 2013, when Sony launched the world’s first LCD TV using these inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals. Basically, when inserted into an LCD TV,... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: August 25


South Pole neutrinos A group of researchers using an instrument buried deep in the ice at the South Pole have announced a new observation of high-energy neutrinos from beyond our solar system and the galaxy. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic-kilometer-sized detector sunk into the ice sheet at the South Pole, allows researchers to see the byproducts of neutrino interactions with the ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: August 18


Making quantum robots Quantum dots are inorganic semiconductor nano-crystals. The technology can be used to boost the color gamut in LCD TVs. It can also be used in LEDs and other products. The problem? Quantum dots are expensive to fabricate. With funding from Dow Chemical, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a new fabrication process. In doing so, researchers a... » read more

Bigger, Brighter TVs


The flat panel display (FPD) industry is undergoing a renaissance, with suppliers rolling out a dizzying array of new, high-resolution technologies for mobile devices, computers and TVs. But despite being in the eye of the innovation storm, FPD equipment makers remain cautious—and for good reason. There are a slew of new LCD fabs being built today, mostly in China. This, in turn, is promp... » read more

5 Technologies To Watch


The industry is developing a dizzying array of new technologies. In fact, there are more new and innovative technologies than ever before. And the list is countless. At least from my vantage point, I have come up with my own list of the top five technologies to watch in 2015 and beyond. They are listed in alphabetical order. (See below). Obviously, there are more than just five technologi... » read more

Pyramids Are Not Just For Pharaohs


By Mike Watts There were 3 different applications for pyramid patterns this year at Photonics West in San Francisco; improved LED’s, improved absorbers and single quantum dot devices. This not the first time the ancients have come to the rescue of nano-technology, a couple of years ago we had nano-menhirs. Several groups talked about improving LED’s through pyramids. A Samsung team grew... » read more

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