SEEING THE LIGHT: Researchers successfully transferred encoded
information from a laser beam to sound waves and back to light
waves, a breakthrough that could speed development of faster
optical communication networks. Image: iStockphoto As demand for
streaming video over the Web, voice over Internet protocol
(VoIP) calling services and other forms of Internet-based
multimedia communication skyrockets, content creators and
consumers are counting on fiber-optic networks to handle these
increasing loads quickly and efficiently. One way to ensure this
happens is to enhance the ability of such networks, which
transmit data over glass or plastic threads, to capture and
retain data even for very brief intervals. Toward that end, a
team of researchers from Duke University and University of
Rochester's Institute of Optics recently reported in Science
that it successfully transferred encoded information from a
laser beam to sound waves and back to light waves, a
breakthrough that could speed development of faster opti