updated 10:55 pm EST, Wed November 23, 2011 MIT diode uses
existing hardware for optical CPUs A recently published research
paper from MIT in Nature Photonics could lead to a cheap, viable
way to make light-based, optical processors. Nicknamed a "diode
for light," it would stop the light with an isolator and process
the information it holds directly in the same part. It would
amount to an integrated optical circuit which, like a silicon
integrated circuit, would be more efficient and much cheaper to
make. The technique puts a layer of garnet on a loop attached to
the light channel. Using the material would allow light to only
head in one direction into and out of of the chip while
funneling the light through the loop to be processed. Diodes
could be made using silicon, not only keeping the cost down but
saving the trouble of having to invent all-new factory
techniques to make the full processors. Designs could use
nothing but optical links for data instead of having to use
electricity for anything more than b