In a landmark experiment, scientists in Zurich, Germany have finally been able to create an optical transistor from a single molecule. This enormous breakthrough would further help in the innovation of optical computers that would consume light instead of electricity to do mass calculations.

One of the most interesting advantages of a optical computer would be that, unlike current electricity based computers, the machines of the future would release less heat and engage in data transfers at tremendous speeds. Scientists have been looking into the possibility of harnessing the power of photons as against the current electrons of the electricity make computers smarter and more efficient than ever before.

Optical technology isn’t new to the world and in the event that a commercialized version of an optical computer is to see the light of day, then it has to far exceed the expectations of the consumers, to make it successful.

Inspite of the fact, much of the data transfer nowadays is being done via fiber optics, still almost all transmissions and receptions of data is being managed by electronic circuits that create. This in turn create log jams in the data traffic and causes considerable delay and loss of time.

Vahid Sandoghdar (ETH, Zurich) said,

“One could compare the current state of this technology with the state of electronic technology based on vacuum tubes for decades.“

The scientists at ETH Zurich has a achieved a marvelous success in creating a very first of its kind transistor from a molecule. The fundamental behind this optical transistor is that, if the energy state of the molecule is set to random instead of a continuous loop and a when a laser beam is collided with the molecule, then the energy of the molecule is excited by the encroaching beam. This would result in a light amplification, that can further be used as energy.

Via Neo Fronteras & Google Translate.