Intel: Silicon Photonics Enables 100 Gigabit Transfers

More than six years after Intel first teased its ability to inject data into chips using silicon lasers, the company today announced its silicon photonics data transmission technology is now available, promising the ability to cheaply send data at 100 gigabits per second.

Silicon photonics harnesses two of the twentieth century's most famous inventions: lasers and silicon chips. It combines an integrated circuit, Intel's bread and butter, with a semiconductor laser so that data can be sent and received through light. The result is the elimination of data center bottlenecks, which will be crucial as more and more computer users' data is stored in the cloud.

Data center customers can now order Intel's first Silicon Photonics 100G optical transceivers, executive Diane Bryant announced today at the company's developer forum in San Francisco. She said Intel is the first manufacturer to sell a laser-powered silicon device. The first transceivers started shipping in June.

Not only is silicon photonics fast, it's also power efficient, with each transceiver using just 3.5 watts of electricity. Data center administrators, especially those at companies like Facebook, whose entire business relies on its network of massive server farms, are loathe to add new devices that increase power demands.

The photonics transceivers will be compatible with existing Ethernet switches and routers, in addition to supporting interfaces commonly used by telecom providers. They can send data at their maximum transmission speeds over a distance of 1.2 miles or less.

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Intel first announced its silicon photonics research in 2010, when it teased the transmission technology's ability to revolutionize data transfers for consumers, too. Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technical officer at the time, said he envisioned photonics-enabled mobile devices being able to instantly download a few seasons' worth of HD-encoded TV shows as their owners were walking out the door to a vacation.

Bryant gave no indication today of whether Intel plans to market its transceivers for consumer devices.