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Fiber optic cables have transformed how information is transmitted, enabling high-speed connections that power the modern internet. Now a group of researchers have developed a hollow fiber optic cable that can carry over 1,000 times more information<\/b> across a broad range of wave lengths while also reducing the amount of light lost in the process.<\/p>\n
Photonics and materials-science researcher at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and co-author of a paper published in Nature Photonics explaining the innovation, Francesco Poletti, says of the design: \u201cWe really think this could be transformative.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
The \u201ctransformative\u201d new fiber optic cable<\/p>\n
Hollow fiber optic cables are not new and are applied to niche applications, like connecting multiple computing units in data centers. Light can travel 45% faster through hollow, air-filled glass tubes<\/b> than regular solid fiber optic cables.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, solid fiber optic cables lose half the light they carry roughly every 10 miles, <\/b>and are only efficient at the infrared \u2018telecom wavelengths\u2019 of around 1.5 micrometers.<\/p>\n
This new design more than doubles the distance at which light can travel before half of it is lost, meaning that stations used to boost and re-transmit signals could be spaced farther apart, thus saving money. <\/b> \u201cIf new technology comes along and says you can skip one building every two or three, that\u2019s a very significant cost saving,\u201d Poletti says.<\/p>\n
Also, these new glass \u2018straws\u2019,<\/b> besides carrying over 1,000 times more power, can transport a broad spectrum of wavelengths, including single-photon pulses of the visible spectrum. These are typically used by quantum-communication systems that enable ultra-secure networks <\/b>making the development \u201cvery interesting,\u201d said Tracy Northup.<\/p>\n
Rod Van Meter, a quantum network engineer at Keio University in Tokyo told Scientific American<\/a> that \u201cif the new fiber can be manufactured and installed easily and proves to be durable, the result might be a faster, better classical Internet.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n Related stories Get your game on! Whether you\u2019re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n