Printed Optical Waveguides: The Next Interconnect

摘要

This certainly is a time for straining to keep up. This also will be a time for dramatic changes! This is the time for innovation! Let me tell you about the next 50 years.... We have a unique opportunity to watch the development of the next generation of interconnects. I'm talking about photonics and optical interconnects. The technology of optical communication and interconnects is about at the same stage as the early telegraph and telephones using copper wires, about 100 years ago. We have optical fiber running between cities, states, countries and continents. It can carry many thousands of channels of communications and data, with very low loss, at 1,000 times faster than wire, all without interference from electromagnetic noise and interference. However, it is fed by electronics, much as 100 years ago, the telegraph and telephone was fed by mechanical inputs (tapping switch or vibrating diaphragm). It is simply another more efficient analog of copper wires, but is labor intensive and put down one-at-a-time.