According to a story issued by the American Institute of Physics, Clemson University researchers have figured out a practical way to create optical fibers using a silicon core rather than glass, a breakthrough they said could result in more energy efficient computers and telecom links.
“In essence, we’ve married optoelectronics with optical fibers,” said Prof. John Ballato in the piece. “In the past, we’ve needed one structure to process light and another to carry it. With a silicon fiber, for the first time, we have the ability to greatly enhance the functionality in one fiber.”
