Current electronic computer chips are best because of their performance, life, handling work activity load etc. However, logic is performed with electricity. Optical engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have designed Metatronics Chip that performs logic with light. Metatronics Chip is smaller, faster and best alternative for electricity based electronic computer chips. Making resistors, inductors, and capacitors is possible that are light sensitive.
Metatronics Chip consists of an array of nanorods (tiny pillars of silicon nitride). Light is passed through the chip. The light is controlled to change the state of the “voltage” and “current” of the optical signal. To achieve various different effects height, width and arrangement of the nanorods are altered. Following can be achieved if light passes from:
- Resistor – Short rod to a tall rod
- Optical Capacitor – A square of four short rods
However, stereo-circuitry is the major problem faced by the manufacturers. Optical circuit is very much dependent on the incident angle. So any minor fault in the circuitry will lead to an oblique optical circuit. It means it will not act as “1″ neither as “0″. But efforts are made and the day isn’t far away we will seeing Metatronics Chips in our computers.
