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Light-Producing Nanotubes Could Mean Faster Chips

Posted by timothy on from the making-light-of-carbon dept.

CannibalBob writes "From PCWorld: Researchers at IBM have used carbon molecules to emit light, a breakthrough that could replace silicon as the foundation of chips and lead to faster computers and telecommunication equipment. This is the first time light has ever been generated from a molecule by applying electricity. Read the article."

2 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't everything now? by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...and lead to faster computers and telecommunication equipment.

    Doesn't it seem like this catch-phrase is tacked onto every new discovery? Couldn't these folks just be making nifty flashlight bulb replacements? Does EVERYTHING need to give us faster computers?

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  2. Re:First Time... by aSiTiC · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I believe that the point is that a single molecule is emitting light. A light bulb utilizes billions of molecules of tungsten to emit light.

    The whole point being that a carbon molecule/nanotube could be the equivalent of a light transistor in the optics world.

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