Future Tech: Faster Data Transmission Using a Novel Light Manipulation Technique

The technology we use everyday empowers us and allows us to improve the quality of our lives. Although the technology we rely on in our daily lives is not devoid of problems, its positive impact should be recognized.

For instance, modern world’s data communication technology has connected each corner of the world to the other, making communication among distant places a cakewalk, allowing millions of users access to a vast amount of information on the Internet.

With the increasingly larger amounts of data being transmitted as time progresses, the data communication technology must continue to evolve to meet the world’s need.

Researchers at the University of Utah have recently made a breakthrough in this regard. They have formulated a device that can be used to achieve faster data transmission rates.

Professors Ajay Nahata and Valy Vardeny recently published a research paper highlighting their work, which makes the use of light instead of electricity to transmit data using Terahertz radiation.

Using Terahertz Radiation for Data Transmission Applications

The research team’s device consists of a combination of organic and inorganic materials. The base structure is made up of a silicon substrate.

As data transmission speeds increase, the increasing strain is placed on the electrical conductors used in traditional data transmission systems.

Multiple layers of a hybrid material known as a ‘Perovskites’ are then applied on top of the silicon substrate.

With this setup, the layered device essentially acts as a receiver to the Terahertz signals. This data is encoded using a halogen lamp. The different layers of perovskite allow a control over the Terahertz signal, based on the color of the light used for encoding.

One of the breakthroughs was a simple halogen lamp that was used to encode the signal. Previously, this type of work made the use of high-power, expensive lasers. Use of such affordable halogen lamps makes Nahata and Vardeny’s system way simpler and much less expensive.

In general, using light instead of electricity to control data results in a faster and simpler communication system. As data transmission speeds increase, the increasing strain is being placed on the electrical conductors that are used in traditional data transmission systems. This is where systems like the Terahertz receiver come into play.

Final Thoughts

The researchers admit that it will be another 10 years before this technology is available commercially. That’s alright however. We aren’t quite at the limit of the current data transmission system yet.

This doesn’t mean that we should rest on our laurels. Inventions like these need to be completed beforehand so that we can switch to a faster more efficient means of data transmission when the time comes.