Novel device could increase broadband download speeds A team of
scientists at the University of Minnesota has invented a device
they claim could greatly increase the speed of downloading
information online and reduce the cost of internet transmission.
The optical device uses force that is generated by light to
flick a mechanical switch of light on and off at a very high
speed. According to the team this method could lead to advances
in signal processing, as networks could use light instead of
electrical current. It would mean that signal processing can be
facilitated with higher performance and lower power consumption.
“This device is similar to electromechanical relays but operates
completely with light,” said Mo Li, an assistant professor of
electrical and computer engineering in the University of
Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering. “This is the
first time that this novel optomechanical effect is used to
amplify optical signals without converting them into electrical
ones.” Currently, the new op