---
title: "Scientists Make Single-Chip Microprocessors That Can Communicate Faster Using Light"
description: "This new system uses on-chip photonic devices, using (of all things) light to directly communicate with other chips."
date: "2016-01-06"
modified: "2016-01-06"
authors:
  - name: "June Javelosa"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/javelosa-junegmail-com"
url: "https://futurism.com/scientists-maks-single-chip-microprocessors-can-communicate-faster-using-light"
categories:
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "computer technology"
  - "Light"
---

# Scientists Make Single-Chip Microprocessors That Can Communicate Faster Using Light

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Creative_Wallpaper_Bright_light_in_the_night_093490_-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Wikimedia Common\</em\>*

**Single-chip**

Unfortunately, the transportation of data across short electrical wires is rather limited. This comes as a result of the limitations of both bandwidth and power density, which creates a kind of "performance bottleneck" for semiconductor microchips in modern computer systems. This is an issue that exists in everything from mobile phones to large-scale data centers.

But these limitations can be overcome, and we may have just taken a great step towards doing just that.

[![Implant-microchips-biotech](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Implant-microchips-biotech-300x179.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Implant-microchips-biotech.jpg>)
**Image: [Obywatel HD](<http://obywatelhd.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Implant-microchips-biotech.jpg>)**

In a new [publication in *Nature*](<http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v528/n7583/full/nature16454.html>), a group of researchers detail the development of a highly integrated photonic system comprised of an IC that houses a processor, memory, and multiple optical transceivers on a single die.

Using their method, barriers that typically exists when trying to increase bandwidths of interchip data communications can be effectively addressed. Externally-generated laser light is used to illuminate the die where data is transmitted by using some of that light, modulating it and fusing the modulated light into a fiber.

In the publication, the team states the significance of their find: "Here we report an electronic–photonic system on a single chip integrating over 70 million transistors and 850 photonic components that work together to provide logic, memory, and interconnect functions."

**New System**

This new system uses on-chip photonic devices, using light to directly communicate with other chips.

Integrating electronics and photonics at the scale of a microprocessor chip requires the adoption of a ‘zero-change’ approach to photonics. Which means that, instead of developing a custom process that could potentially complicate how the system works, optical devices are used through a standard microelectronics foundry process typically used for modern microprocessors.

The success of the demonstration of the new system could spur the production of chip-scale electronic-photonic systems that have the potential of transforming computing system architecture that could pave the way for more powerful computers and better network infrastructure.