Time-Domain Telescope
So, apparently, researchers have invented a method for transferring data at an increased rate using what they refer to as a "time-domain telescope", a way of focusing optical pulses to make them "shorter in time" to transmit data at an increased rate. Unfortunately, no article I have found seems to be able to use unambiguous language to describe the process or even the idea, so I've no bloody clue what's actually happening. I suppose, given that I lack advanced degrees in photonics, I might never understand... I couldn't, for example, profitably read the original article in Nature Photonics, I imagine, even had I access to it. However, if anyone is aware of an article a bit more precise than this one on the Beeb, I'd be much obliged, because I find the idea interesting, but need it explained by someone who A) took the time to actually understand it and B) parsed the jargon into relatively unambiguous English. This is probably a Herculean task, as jargon exists for a reason.
Example:
"The idea uses silicon waveguides as the lenses.
A long, 10-GHz pulse containing bits of data and a much shorter laser pulse with no information pass through one of these waveguides.
A race is then set up between the halves of the pulse, with the back speeding up and the front slowing down as it passes through an optical fibre."
"A race is then set up"? Between "the halves" of "the pulse?" There were two pulses a paragraph ago. Please speak of them at least enough to define your new terms in this paragraph, Mr. Author. When you say "a race is set up", what the hell are you actually trying (and failing) to say, exactly? They're pulses of light. Unless manipulated, they both move at 3x108m/s in vacuum, and other set, but equal, speeds through other media. Researchers know this. They will not be playing the ponies with light pulses, so please explain what they are actually doing.
Is this supposed to be a fumbling way of saying that researchers are selectively altering the speed of portions of the longer pulse of light to shorten it enough to be piggy-backed on the shorter pulse as a carrier? Or what? I know (now) that we can apparently manipulate the speed of light in fiber optic media using light...
Gah. I'm not used to feeling dumb, damnit, but I can't make sense of the articles I'm finding. And since I keep finding problems in the language journalists are using to describe the process, I am going to blame it on them to assuage my delicate ego.
Example:
"The idea uses silicon waveguides as the lenses.
A long, 10-GHz pulse containing bits of data and a much shorter laser pulse with no information pass through one of these waveguides.
A race is then set up between the halves of the pulse, with the back speeding up and the front slowing down as it passes through an optical fibre."
"A race is then set up"? Between "the halves" of "the pulse?" There were two pulses a paragraph ago. Please speak of them at least enough to define your new terms in this paragraph, Mr. Author. When you say "a race is set up", what the hell are you actually trying (and failing) to say, exactly? They're pulses of light. Unless manipulated, they both move at 3x108m/s in vacuum, and other set, but equal, speeds through other media. Researchers know this. They will not be playing the ponies with light pulses, so please explain what they are actually doing.
Is this supposed to be a fumbling way of saying that researchers are selectively altering the speed of portions of the longer pulse of light to shorten it enough to be piggy-backed on the shorter pulse as a carrier? Or what? I know (now) that we can apparently manipulate the speed of light in fiber optic media using light...
Gah. I'm not used to feeling dumb, damnit, but I can't make sense of the articles I'm finding. And since I keep finding problems in the language journalists are using to describe the process, I am going to blame it on them to assuage my delicate ego.