Terabit per second Ethernet may be possible

From Ars Technica

Researchers from Australia, Denmark, and China have combined efforts to show the feasibility of terabit-per-second Ethernet over fiber-optic cables. The solution involves a photonic chip that uses laser light for switching signals, and a form of the exotic material type, chalcogenide.

The groups’ combined efforts are documented in a paper in the February 16, 2009, issue of Optics Express, which details a demonstration of 640 Gbps networking and the extension of the same approach to terabit-per-second speeds. (See “Breakthrough switching speed with an all-optical chalcogenide glass chip: 640 Gbit/s Demultiplexing,” Leif Oxenløwe et al, Optics Express, Vol. 17, Issue 4.)