The \"Light\" Side of Signal Processing: Research Teams Work Toward a Signal Processing-Enabled Photonics Future [Special Reports]

Discusses research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where engineers and scientists are investigating the possibility of using light rather than wires to provide communication across different parts of a microchip. As the size and speed of many conventional electronics technologies begin reaching their practical limits, a growing number of researchers is turning their attention to photonics and related optical-based approaches to continue the push toward smaller, faster, cheaper, and more innovative computer and communication devices. Building on an already lengthy and impressive track record, signal processing is now playing a critical role in the development of new optical communication processes. Digital signal processing (DSP), for instance, is widely viewed as the catalyst for the “coherent revolution” that paved the way for optical telecom networks in the mid-2000s. Now, signal processing is playing a role in research that promises to lead to denser and faster microchips, more efficient networks, and other important technology innovations.