IEF News 2023

Optical data communication requires an ever-​growing need for faster devices. Scientists of the Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF) have developed the world’s fastest photodetector up to this point. The combination of metamaterials and graphene has led to the record breaking >500 GHz bandwidth. These devices could pave the way for the next generation highest speed photodetectors.

Optical data communications lasers can transmit several tens of terabits per second, despite a huge amount of disruptive air turbulence. ETH Zurich scientists and their European partners demonstrated this capacity with lasers between the mountain peak, Jungfraujoch, and the city of Bern in Switzerland. This will soon eliminate the necessity of expensive deep-​sea cables.

A novel optical data transmitter that could make supercomputers and datacenters much more energy efficient has been invented by researchers at ETH Zurich and Polariton Technologies. It allows to simultaneously transmit multiple data streams at high speed and reduces the complexity of the associated controllers.

Sleepiz ist ein kleines Gerät, das bequem den Schlaf überwacht: Nun fasst die Zürcher Firma Fuss in den USA. 20 Minuten hat das Schlaflabor aus der Kartonbox drei Nächte lang getestet.