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Passive Optical Diode Created At Purdue University

Posted by Soulskill on from the trading-hamsters-for-photons dept.

wbr1 writes "Researchers at Purdue University have managed to create a silicon device that acts as a passive diode for infrared optical signals. From the Purdue news release: 'The diode is capable of "nonreciprocal transmission," meaning it transmits signals in only one direction, making it capable of information processing, said Minghao Qi (pronounced Chee), an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. "This one-way transmission is the most fundamental part of a logic circuit, so our diodes open the door to optical information processing," said Qi.' One of the same researchers had already (using similar technology) created a way to convert laser pulses to RF."

4 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Holy Entropy by physburn · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It lets heat go in one direction only! That the biggest change in Thermodynamical Law since Claude Shannon. Now convert it a transistor, and with a maxwell daemon, (Quantum Weak Measurement, + Quantum Computer, + Classical Prediction Logic) and we have (possibly) a free entropy device, capable of turning waste (heat) energy back to useful energy.

    ---

    Third Magic @ Blogspot

    1. Re:Holy Entropy by XiaoMing · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It lets heat go in one direction only! That the biggest change in Thermodynamical Law since Claude Shannon.
      Now convert it a transistor, and with a maxwell daemon, (Quantum Weak Measurement, + Quantum Computer, + Classical Prediction Logic)
      and we have (possibly) a free entropy device, capable of turning waste (heat) energy back to useful energy.

      From TFA:

      Depending on which ring the light enters first, it will either pass in the forward direction or be dissipated backward, which creates one-way transmission.

      It seems to more just act as a nonlinear lens, dissipating (or more likely scattering) preferentially in the backwards direction.

  2. Does not "open the door"... by gweihir · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why do so many researchers lie so shamelessly to the press? This may be a step in that direction, but it is a rather small one. Key components are missing and a lot depends on the actual characteristics of this device.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  3. Re:Bull. They're halfway, the easy half at that. by Electricity+Likes+Me · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually it's really really hard. The optical transistor is the current holy grail of photonics and optical computing. The person who invents it will be incontinently rich.