In Modern Computing, Size Matters

What the Tech?

Researchers at the Stanford School of Engineering have been able to design an insanely fast light emitting diode (known to the rest of the world as LED) that is nanoscale and energy efficient, paving the way for the next quantum leap (no pun intended–but only serious nerds would have got that) in data processing. Associate Professor of Engineering Jelena Vuckovic and electrical engineering doctoral candidate Gary Shambat have published their findings in a research paper submitted to Nature Communications.

A Brief Lesson in Quantum Physics

Atoms are said to be “quantized” when their electrons exist at fixed frequencies. Electrons of atoms behave as a wave in the same manner as sound.  Just as sound  waves can be cancelled by opposing sound waves, so electrons can be cancelled in the same manner. Think of your buddy Orlando and his sweet competition stereo in his beat up Cutlass Oldsmobile. Now recall a time you tried to say something with the bass blasting. The reason why you couldn’t hear yourself very well was because your voice was cancelled by the wave of the bass. Since electrons fly around an atom, it would cancel itself in places where it cannot exist, hence, electrons are not given a fixed position around an atom—but they are given a fixed frequency.

Light also has a frequency. The higher the frequency, the more intense the light; infrared is virtually harmless but ultraviolet and up is deadly. By running a current through a diode made of two different kinds of material (diodes allow electrical current to flow in a single direction), the electron is forced to “leap,” shedding energy in the form of a fixed frequency. Since we know the frequency of light in the visible color range, the leap can be predetermined using different materials. That’s how LED’s can be made to have a different color. We already use the frequency of electrons – that’s electricity – and of light to transmit data (the 1’s and 0’s, or the “on and off,” are simply the peaks and valleys of the wave).

What’s That Mean??

These days, electrons are used to send information through the processors that we use in our computers, TV’s, and cell phones. The speed at which we can compute data is only prohibited by how much heat those electrons create on the processor before the processor melts. With the development of nanoscale LED’s, taking advantage of extremely low energy consumption, it is just a matter of time before these LED’s are used as a CPU, putting super-computing into a whole new league. The only drag about LED’s are their cost – not because of the material cost, but because of the precision of the physics. This is why LED screens in TV’s, cell phones, and computer monitors cost so much more. But with the attraction of nanoscale LED’s as a form of resistor to replace those of carbon used on today’s silicon CPU’s, expect a rapid development as investors pour funding into additional research.

Why your boss wants it:

The next step in fast computing is the development of this technology, making your mobile computing as fast and powerful as your home/office computing. Soon you’ll be able to work powerfully and efficiently from anywhere.

Why you want it:

Sub “work” for “play online role playing games.”

Why your wife wants it:

Sub “play online role playing games” for “find attractive dance partners while your nerd husband ‘works.'”

 By Edward Burns

 Edward Burns has worked in wireless retail sales for nine years, including seven years in management.  He left wireless to get his English degree at U.C. Berkeley, but still loves to keep up with the happenings of wireless equipment.  He is a gadget freak, builds his own computers, and is an early adopter of new technologies.