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Engineers Report Breakthrough in Laser Beam Technology
New York Times ^ | 2005-10-26 | JOHN MARKOFF

Posted on 10/26/2005 1:26:57 PM PDT by sourcery

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26 - A team of Stanford electrical engineers has discovered how to modulate, or switch on and off, a beam of laser light up to a 100 billion times a second with materials that are widely used in the semiconductor industry.

The group used a standard chip-making process to design a key component of optical networking gear potentially more than 10 times faster than the highest-performance commercial products available today.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: laser; network; science; technology
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1 posted on 10/26/2005 1:26:57 PM PDT by sourcery
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To: AntiGuv; Ernest_at_the_Beach; SunkenCiv; phatoldphart

Ping


2 posted on 10/26/2005 1:27:23 PM PDT by sourcery (Givernment: The way the average voter spells "government.")
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To: sourcery

Ping


3 posted on 10/26/2005 1:28:09 PM PDT by rscientist (Yea, I am a rocket scientist. My wife says that she is still not impressed.)
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To: sourcery

as with any major bearkthrough in tehcnology, the obvious questions is how can this new development be used to help mankind, specifically how will this help the porn industry /half-sarcsam-off


4 posted on 10/26/2005 1:30:22 PM PDT by pikachu (You're unique and special -- just like everyone else.)
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: sourcery

Can the laser beam be attached to shark heads?

Dr. Evil


6 posted on 10/26/2005 1:35:38 PM PDT by Bulldaddy ("Vote for me and all your wildest dreams will come true" - Pedro Sanchez)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: sourcery

100 GHz processors, coming up.


8 posted on 10/26/2005 1:36:25 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: pikachu

ROFLMAO


9 posted on 10/26/2005 1:37:20 PM PDT by cowtowney
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To: sourcery
100 billion times a second?

Hell thats nothing, my wife's moods change faster than that.
10 posted on 10/26/2005 1:38:25 PM PDT by Graycliff (Long haired freaky people, need not apply.)
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To: bobbdobbs
how will this help the porn industry

Can a virtual reality sex suit be far off?

11 posted on 10/26/2005 1:38:28 PM PDT by Maceman (Imagine No Possessions -- It's easy if you have $200 million.)
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To: sourcery

Can they make lightsabers yet?


12 posted on 10/26/2005 1:38:36 PM PDT by Sir Gawain
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To: sourcery

Now we just have to refine optical fibers to the point where they can handle the data rate.


13 posted on 10/26/2005 1:38:58 PM PDT by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: Cboldt
"100 GHz processors, coming up."

More like terrabit Ethernet of optical fibre coming up.
14 posted on 10/26/2005 1:39:02 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: SirKit

Hmmm. Check it out!


15 posted on 10/26/2005 1:39:30 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Moral Hazard

oops, of = over


16 posted on 10/26/2005 1:39:31 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: Moral Hazard
More like terrabit Ethernet or optical fibre coming up.

If the wavelength can be modulated at the same time, we have some significant bandwidth opportunities. Otherwise, dispersion at this rate would be monstrous.

17 posted on 10/26/2005 1:43:00 PM PDT by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: sourcery
Just more use of the technology picked up from the Roswell Crash Site.
18 posted on 10/26/2005 1:47:25 PM PDT by vetvetdoug (Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Brices Crossroads, Harrisburg, Britton Lane, Holly Springs, Hatchie Bridge,)
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To: sourcery
A team of Stanford electrical engineers has discovered how to modulate, or switch on and off, a beam of laser light up to a 100 billion times a second...

I need this in my house.

Nobody there seems to know how to turn off a light once a day.

19 posted on 10/26/2005 1:49:00 PM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: pikachu
as with any major bearkthrough in tehcnology, the obvious questions is how can this new development be used to help mankind, specifically how will this help the porn industry /half-sarcsam-off

You win the "gut laugh of the day award"!

20 posted on 10/26/2005 1:49:14 PM PDT by kipita (Conservatives: Freedom and Responsibility………Liberals: Freedom from Responsibility)
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