Time-Domain Telescope

[smarriveurr]

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

Comments

[paperkingdoms]

Yeah, I think they're saying that the front part is slowed down, and the rear part is sped up, so that overall it takes less time. A race is a pretty goofy way of saying it. It's roughly analogous to saying that the image that you get if you shrunk a picture with a lens was done by having the edges of the image scoot over toward the middle.

I'm a little curious, because the language of some of it early on is a little bit applied-what-I-do-ish. But not nearly enough to be helpful, really. [Nor am I applied enough to be helpful. But you knew that.]

[smarriveurr]

*nod* The language in pretty much all of these is not so much "simplified" as "obfuscatory". I can't help but feel they could benefit from differentiating "length in time" from "duration", "speed of transport" from "rate of data transmission", etc, etc. I mean, I assume the journalists aren't necessarily going to grok what's really happening, but you'd think there'd be some middle-ground.

And, well, if I find a better article, I'll let you know. Alternately, you can check whether your uni or library have a subscription to Nature Photonics, where the original research was published. And that would be awesome, because I've waited about two decades to be able to say "See what you could accomplish if you applied yourself?" to someone else.

[paperkingdoms]

We don't have it at KU, but I put in a request. I should get a scan of it sometime soon, and I'll share.

[smarriveurr]

I posted a little while back about it, but I think I've at least grasped the idea on the "lies-to-children" level, which is probably as much as I'm likely to accomplish without a few more years of academia.

Basically, they send the data pulse through the waveguide with an infrared pulse. The infrared pulse vibrates the atoms of the silicon waveguide, which alter the frequency of portions of the data pulse. Since the higher frequency light can travel faster through the medium, the researchers can compress the pulse by accelerating the rear end and decelerating the leading end. Beyond that, I don't know what the hell is happening, but that much at least makes more sense than before, and is kind of like what I thought was happening.

I will, however, totally take that scan to see if I can grok any more in the original. Thanks!

[paperkingdoms]

::nods:: I did see your post. But requesting articles is one of my few university affiliation super powers, and it's fun to use it now and then. ;^)

[smarriveurr]

I understand. What good is power if you can't abuse it?

[paperkingdoms]

Satisfying personal curiosity is totally within bounds. ;^)

[paperkingdoms]

I have it in my possession. I'm trying to convince gmail it wants to send it to you. It's being stubborn, but it should be coming. Via yousendit if need be.

[smarriveurr]

Yay! And received - You're officially awesome.

[paperkingdoms]

::curtsies::