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Silicon photonics

An exercise in self control

Controlling light with light using devices small enough to fit on a chip is tricky, but it is crucial for any integrated all-optical logic scheme. Scientists have now produced modulators that control light at breakneck speeds, bringing the vision of all-optical chips closer to reality.

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Figure 1: The all-optical modulator that breaks speed limits5.

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Lipson, M. An exercise in self control. Nature Photon 1, 18–19 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2006.63

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