Three Researchers from the University of Illinois have been able to transmit data across fibre-optics at a speed of 57Gbps at room temperature without any error. The team comprising graduate students Curtis Wang and Michael Liu, with Professor Milton Feng, set the new record by breaking previous 40Gbps record reported.
Their breakthrough work, oxide-VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) technology was presented at last week’s Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, California.
The researchers team noted that with this technology, the transmission of high-quality data such as 4K and VR (Virtual Reality) streams now becomes an economically viable solution for ISPs.
They further added that the new technology fares better than the older tech at a higher temperature and performs better speed transfers. It makes the discovery even more beneficial as data centers, the places where fiber-optics play a crucial role, have a tendency to get hot in a hurry, hence, the reason to have 24/7 cooling.
The new technology can transfer data over 50 Gbps at 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Fahrenheit) addressing the ISPs problem of keeping up with the rate.
“For data centers and for commercial use, you’d like a device not to carry a refrigerator,” Professor Feng has explained. “The device needs to be operational from room temperature all the way up to 85 degrees without spending energy and resources on cooling.”
Professor Feng also believes that this technology can prove useful in the aerospace industry, where replacing heavy copper cables with faster and lighter fiber-optics will appeal to all manufacturers wanting to cut down on an aircraft’s total weight.