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IBM researchers have developed a prototype technology that uses light instead of wires to send information. The new technology could allow the transmission of 8 trillion bits (terabits) per second of information -- equivalent to about 5,000 high-definition video streams -- using the power of a 100-watt light bulb.

Such massive bandwidth could make datacenters more efficient and speed sharing of large amounts of data, from scientists crunching data to online delivery of high-definition movies. It is especially designed to connect supercomputers. Today a typical 100 meter long link uses 100 times more power than the prototype technology.
The new technology puts optical chips and optical data buses in a single package with standard components. It represents a significant advance from related work achieved by the same research team.

"Last year we unveiled an optical transceiver chip-set that could transmit a high-definition movie in under a second using highly customised optical components and processes," said IBM Researcher Clint Schow, part of the team that built the prototype. "Just a year later, we've now connected those high speed chips through printed circuit boards with dense integrated optical 'wiring.' Now we have built an even faster transceiver and have moved the optical components away from custom devices to more standard parts procured from a volume manufacturer, taking an important step toward commercialising the technology."

Learn more:
IBM Unveils a Prototype Green Optical Network Technology for Sharing Huge Files in Seconds (US)