THE internet keeps growing but how to cut its energy use? A new record for the speed at which a single laser can transmit data could help address this problem.
Juerg Leuthold and colleagues at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany sent data at a rate of 26 terabits per second through 50 kilometres of optical fibre. That’s equivalent to sending all the information on about 1000 HD DVDs each second.
Previously, higher transmission speeds have relied on multiple lasers, so being able to use just one is far more energy-efficient.
An obvious application is for “long haul” traffic …