Scientists Embed Electronic Components Into Optical Fibers

An anonymous reader writes "Scientists at the Universities of Southampton and Penn State have found a way to embed electronic components into optical fibers, in a breakthrough that could lead to the creation of super high-speed telecommunications networks. Rather than trying to merge flat chips with round optical fibers, the team of scientists used high-pressure chemistry techniques to deposit semiconducting materials layer by layer directly into tiny holes in optical fibers. This bypasses the need to integrate fiber-optics onto a chip, and means that the data signal never has to leave the fiber."

Comments

All along the fiber, or just at the end?

[johanwanderer]

So, do they embed impurities all along the fiber, or just at the very end, where it gets snipped off and polished before being attached?

How much of the signal is "processed" (i.e. lost) by the electronics if they are sprinkled all through the fiber?

Interesting stuff.

Re:All along the fiber, or just at the end?

[Anonymous Coward]

at the very end, where it gets snipped off and polished

The circuits are embedded near the ends, although this does tend to weaken the fibers. A conditioner is used to prevent split ends and promote healthy growth. The fibers become glossy and conduct great looking optical solitons. Essential oils also prevent tangles and give your fibers that extra bounce.

Built in repeaters?

[JazzXP]

I'm wondering if this means they could have repeaters built in to the fibre itself. Could be pretty cool.

Re:Built in repeaters?

[ibsteve2u]

Inline wiretapping! Happy, happy - joy, joy! I remember once upon a time opto-electric "isolators" were used to ensure that various and sundry bad guys couldn't pick up intel via RF emissions...and a lot of people still think fiber presents the most physically secure media. That might be even more of an obsolete perspective now that a seemingly innocent fiber bundle will be able to have all kinds of "goodies" in it...

Re:Built in repeaters?

[badboy_tw2002]

Yeah, you don't need anything new for that. Remember when all those ships mysteriously kept running over cables with their anchors? Yeah, there's probably extra mysterious boxes sitting along those routes now.

Re:Built in repeaters?

[ibsteve2u]

I think it inevitable that the Patriot Act will eventually be used as a political weapon. We've already seen politicians go to extraordinary - even criminal - lengths to involve the American people in war; we've seen Congress vouchsafe incarcerating Americans forever and ever without trial with merely the accusation of terrorism; we've seen the power of "Executive Orders" abused ever more often; we've see "extraordinary renditions" used to violate international law and the sovereignty of other nations; we've seen those whose jokes on social networks are misunderstood kicked out of America.

The logical - evolutionary, if you will - next step is a political party whose leaders became infamous for demanding that Federal departments "stay on-message" when they were in the White House, for example, expanding that philosophy and using the aforementioned powers - whether Constitutional, blessed by Congress, or ignored by Congress - to silence those who criticize their actions.

Re:Built in repeaters?

[EdIII]

The logical - evolutionary, if you will - next step is a political party whose leaders became infamous for demanding that Federal departments "stay on-message" when they were in the White House, for example, expanding that philosophy and using the aforementioned powers - whether Constitutional, blessed by Congress, or ignored by Congress - to silence those who criticize their actions.

That's not evolution. That's repeating history. Which is why it is so sad and frustrating when people cannot remember history and what happened with the FBI in the 60's and counter cultural movement. Hoover was fucking insane and the best example of somebody in government that is that last person you want in government.

It's even more important to remember the true history of our government because it is just made up of people. The people and their behavior is the same, the tools have evolved. It's a lot easier to create a file on you these days and harass the crap out of you when you don't "stay on message" as you put it.

For people who think that is a bit tin-foil-hattish, they can read in Hoover's own words how much he hated MLK. Judging those events now tells us something.

cheaper?

[phriedom]

I don't understand this part: “Moreover, while conventional chip fabrication requires multimillion dollar clean room facilities, our process can be performed with simple equipment that costs much less." They can only be replacing the physical layer step, the laser or the photo-diode, if they don't need a multimillion dollar equipment. They will still need a conventional chip for the amplifier or laser-driver. So their claim that the signal won't have to leave the fiber is misleading right off the bat. Then I have to wonder why it would be cheaper to grow a laser (and test it) one-at-a-time on the end of a fiber instead of on a wafer. Okay, you skip packaging, but the market has already decided (for the moment) that packaged lasers are cheaper than putting a bare die directly into an integrated module. Where's the savings?

Re:cheaper?

[Anonymous Coward]

Consider embedding LCD Crystals into the fiber.

The laser is constantly on but the crystals are beating, allowing light in at a specific angle so it hits a specific exit point at a specific frequency for the installed patch.

Lets say you can get 10-20 channels; that's a lot of bandwidth if we're talking OC Speeds. And realistically, it'd be a $10k dongle and $100k box you'd plug into your existing fiber.