Home Research & Education 3D Laser Printed Glass Chips Accelerate Fiber Optics

3D Laser Printed Glass Chips Accelerate Fiber Optics

An international team of researchers from Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Italy has set a new speed record for standard fiber optic cables. The team managed to transmit 1.7 petabits of data over a distance of 67 kilometers.

The fiber consists of 19 cores, each capable of transmitting signals, and meets international standards for fiber optic cables.

A key role was played by a 3D laser-printed glass chip developed by Macquarie University researchers. The chip provides efficient access to the 19 light streams transmitted through the fiber with minimal signal loss.

The optical fiber was jointly developed by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd (SEI). Eindhoven University of Technology, L’Aquila University and Macquarie University also contributed their expertise.

According to Dr. Simon Gross of Macquarie University, the technology will be ready for submarine cables in five to 10 years. He highlights the significant advances in data transmission made possible by global optics research.

Achieving these speeds, especially without infrastructure changes, indicates the potential for further advances in fiber optic technology. This could meet the growing demand for data transmission in our connected world.

Find out more about the Macquarie University at mq.edu.au.


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