Plasmonic computer chips move closer

March 18, 2005 | Source: NewScientist.com News

Mark Brongersma of Stanford University has found a new way to model the three-dimensional propagation of plasmons.

Plasmons travel at the speed of light and are created when light hits a metal at a particular angle, causing waves to propagate through electrons near the surface. They could be used to move data around computer chips and could operate at frequencies 100,000 times faster than today’s Pentium chips, without requiring thicker wiring.