Friday, November 14, 2008

Lighter 'String'Attached: DNA Fiber Optics



A blinding possibility for nanoscale optical computing. Blinding, it's so small to the chromophores level it seems negligible but enlightening on how to make computing at the speed of light.


These cables can't be used to pass laser light like the glass fiber optics you will have heard of; the organic molecules transmit light by exchanging photons between molecules, while glass simply steers the original photons to where they need to go. Hence these organic wires won't be used for the same light speed communications applications - and with a maximum length of 20 nanometers, they wouldn't reach as far anyway. Instead these tiny wires could form the foundation of nanoscale optical computing.

The cable has a one-way gates fitted at each end, chromophores called "Pacific Blue" and "Cy3" which have higher and lower energy levels than the YO, respectively. These ensure that while photons can be passed back and forth between the YO molecules, they can only enter one end and what leave the other and so there is a net flow down the chain.

Source

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