By Jean-Jacques DeLisle, contributing writer
New terahertz microchips developed by Dr. Uriel Levy and his team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) could allow computers and other optic communication devices to run up to 100 times faster. The advancement in processing power comes after three years of extensive research. During this time, Levy and his team managed to overcome two major existing problems with terahertz microchips: overheating and scalability. Progress achieved in this field does not only apply to computers but encompasses all optic devices. One day, everything with a microchip could potentially use this innovative technology to ramp up processing speeds.
Image source: Pixabay.
Dr. Levy, head of HU’s Nano-Opto Group, and HU Emeritus professor Joseph Shappir published proof-of-concept for their scalable optic technology in Laser and Photonics Reviews. In this proof-of-concept, they showed how their technology could integrate the speed of optic technology with the reliability and scalability of a microchip.
In a traditional microchip, signals are sent via electrical current. These signals move extremely fast but not nearly as fast as they could. In a terahertz microchip, the signal would be sent with optics, meaning that the information travels at the speed of light. Needless to say, the speed of light is incredibly fast (671 million mph), and in the past, optic systems had trouble with reliability. The terahertz chip could even be the solution to the problems in the reliability of optic systems and, thanks to its scalability, it could be used in a multitude of various devices — including cellphones.
Levy and his team accomplished this advancement by using a metal-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (MONOS) structure to create an integrated circuit that uses flash memory technology (the same technology commonly found in flash drives). The end result will be a microchip that could allow standard 8- to 16-GHz computers to run 100 times faster. All optic devices will be affected, and efficiency of these devices will greatly improve.
“This discovery could help fill the ‘THz gap’ and create new and more powerful wireless devices that could transmit data at significantly higher speeds than currently possible,” said Dr. Uriel Levy. “In the world of high-tech advances, this is game-changing technology.” There is no doubt that this is a major development in processing power, and we can also expect to see a revolution in optic technology as a whole. According to Meir Grajower, HU Ph.D. student, “It will now be possible to manufacture an optical device with the precision and cost-effectiveness of flash technology.” With more reliability coupled with faster speeds and low production costs, these new terahertz chips are a boon to society in many ways. Expect to see them making their way into our daily lives in the near future.
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