By Douglas Smith -
Integrating optics and electronics into systems such as fiber-optic data links has revolutionized how we transmit information. A second revolution awaits as researchers seek to develop chips in which individual atoms control the movement of light within the chip through optical "wires," and photons could replace electrons as the vehicle for performing computations. Andrei Faraon (BS '04), an assistant professor of applied physics and materials science in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, presents a preview of this revolution at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, in Caltech's Beckman Auditorium. Admission is free.
Q: What do you do?
A: My field is nanophotonics, which means that I build ultrasmall devices to control light. Electronic devices use silicon chips to control the flow of electrical charge and to store it. We're trying to do the same thing with light, using single atoms or small ensembles of atoms that act like the transistors in electronic circuits...
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