University of Toronto Research enables faster, smaller and more affordable data communications

Optical links have moved from the ocean floor, where they have been used to carry long-distance voice and data for decades, into our office towers, and now into data centres to interconnect computers less than 20 meters apart.  This sea-change in digital connectivity is set to continue, with optical links displacing copper in more and more short-reach applications, increasing the demand for optoelectronic components exponentially.  Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed patent pending breakthrough technology that both efficiently and affordably perform optoelectronic conversion for high-speed data signals within a tiny footprint. Sustained data transfer rates equivalent to three parallel streams of high-definition video have been demonstrated in prototype components.  Next generation versions of the device as well as customer evaluation boards are currently under development. The technology meets tomorrow’s market needs in infrastructure computing, automotive, and consumer electronic applications.

According to Joel Liederman, MaRS Innovation’s physical sciences lead, “These semiconductor devices are a game changer for the active optical cable markets, enabling dramatic reductions in both cost and size while enabling significant performance improvements.”