Researchers Develop Photonic Processors

TheCybernator writes to mention a New Scientist story about scientists who are developing a light-based processor by actually storing and delaying photons. These 'optical buffers' may one day be used to make super-fast microchips based on light instead of electrons. From the article: "A decade from now ... there [may] be not seven cores but hundreds on a chip ... Connecting these cores using light could solve this problem. Until now, the lack of optical buffers has been a key roadblock to these kinds of light connections. The way information is transmitted means that buffers must hold packets of data while a router decides where they are to be sent. Buffers are also needed to delay optical pulses - so they do not collide at switching points - and to synchronise streams of data coming from different places."

Comments

Re:100 Cores?

[yaminb]

I look at my process list. There's a hell of a lot of processes and threads. Even without any special programming for any given application, you still get the very handy benefit of less context switching. Maybe even 1 process per core :P I'll take that anyday.

I hope this would help with the heat.

[rollingcalf]

Hopefully using light instead of electrons would cut down on the amount of heat that is dissipated. Otherwise, a 256-core processor could serve double duty as a furnace for a 3000 sq foot home in winter.