IBM brings optics into the data center to save energy and boost speed

When we think of optical technology it tends to be in terms of transmitting data over long distances. Today IBM is unveiling a breakthrough in optics technology that for the first time puts the speed and power of fiber optics inside servers and onto circuit boards. Using a new process that replaces electrical wires with optical waveguides,this effectively enables chip connectivity at the speed of light. Researchers have pioneered a new process for co-packaged optics (CPO), powered by the first publicly announced successful polymer optical waveguide (PWG). This technology could significantly increase the bandwidth of data center communications, minimizing GPU… [Continue Reading]