Fujitsu Laboratories announced the development of a compact silicon photonics light source for use in optical transceivers required for optical interconnects capable of carrying large volumes of data at high speeds between CPUs. In the past, when the silicon photonics light sources built into optical transceivers, and the optical modulators that encode data into the light emitted from the light source experienced thermal fluctuations, a mismatch between the lasing wavelength of the light source and the operating wavelength of the modulator could arise, causing concern that the light would not carry information. This is why thermal control has become indispensable as a way to maintain operating wavelengths that consistently match.
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Feed SubscriptionPassing Fear: Do Fuel Economy Gains Compromise Quick Acceleration?
Let's say a driver approaches a red light at 80 kilometers per hour and coasts to slow down, then the light turns green and he or she floors the accelerator. As the car slows down, the transmission automatically downshifts into lower gears, but a sudden command to increase speed reverses that process and the transmission has to find the proper gear for quick acceleration. With new technology introduced in the past couple of years to meet upcoming fuel economy standards , drivers of a small handful of the latest Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi models may feel engine hesitation when they goose the accelerator, which is a source of frustration, at minimum, to many drivers.
Read More »Sorting millions of snapshots from the Linac Coherent Light Source
The great thing about SLACs Linac Coherent Light Source is that it churns out incredible volumes of data about things no one has ever seen before, such as snapshots of individual viruses.
Read More »5 Steps to Launching a Start-up
Preparing to launch your start-up means more than simply making sure you have a viable product and potential customers. Here are five tips on how to prepare yourself to be a founder. John Bradberry was fascinated by the idea of how someone may prepare to start a company.
Read More »Can You See Me Now? New X-Ray System Reveals Fine Detail
X-rays can help reveal anything from bombs hidden in luggage to tumors in breasts, but some potentially vital clues might be too faint to capture with conventional methods. Now a new x-ray technique adapted from atom smashers could resolve more key details. Conventional x-ray imaging works much like traditional photography, relying on the light--in this case, x-rays--that a target absorbs, transmits and scatters.
Read More »Tools of the trade: New X-ray microscopy technique makes faster, sharper images
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new x-ray microscopy technique that allows scientists to make images 60 times faster than before has been developed by an Australian research team including Garth Williams, who is now an instrument scientist at SLACs Linac Coherent Light Source. The method, called polychromatic coherent diffractive imaging, or polyCDI, will also enable sharper and more accurate images of floppy biological molecules and fast-moving materials structures.
Read More »5 Ways to Revamp Your Workspace
A funky lamp or a colorful chair can go a long way toward sprucing up the office. Here are some items that might just do the trick. Designed by Peter Stathis for Joby, the Trapeze LED Table Light pivots on steel balls, allowing a wide range of motion
Read More »PlantLab’s Psychedelic Plant-Growing Paradise
Who needs sun and dirt? PlantLab is the latest in hydroponic, lightless plant growing, so any food can be local. There is no shortage of hydroponic produce startups aiming to capitalize on the world's growing desire for fruits and vegetables that don't need to be trucked in thousands of miles to their destination
Read More »Astronaut Snaps Spectacular Meteor Photo From Space
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaked this weekend, and one astronaut living aboard the International Space Station captured a stunning view of the light show from space. [More]
Read More »Kill The Myth: Incandescent Bulbs Are Not Banned
Don't like the government telling you to buy a CFL? There's no need to take up arms
Read More »When Does Sex Count as a Work-Related Injury?
Apparently when it occurs on a business trip. An Australian public servant is suing her employer for compensation after being injured while having sex during a business trip. She works for ComCare, the Australian government’s—wait for it—workplace safety organization
Read More »Upgrade Your Documents Suite
Document embedding and web form building can be a necessity when sharing information, and it's hard to find a reliable service that offers premium business solutions. Mix and match these 7 tools to get the most out of a documents suite, and watch your information work for you. For some, GoogleDocs can be a personal organization savior.
Read More »The Next Space Telescope Might Fly Commercial
Hubble is amazing, but its replacement, the James Webb, is having problems. That makes a scientific telescope ride aboard a commercial space plane all the more compelling an idea.
Read More »How LightSquared Could Cast A Wider Web (And Ruin Your Road Trip)
LightSquared, a 4G satellite internet provider backed by an eccentric billionaire, could change the nature of broadband Internet in the United States. The only problem is that their network could just make GPS receivers go blank
Read More »Paris: City of Light and Cosmic Rays
Paris has long had the nickname "The City of Light", due to its role as a center of education during the Age of Enlightenment and, in the 1800s, due to its early implementation of electric lighting. It very nearly had its name associated with another form of radiation in 1910, however, thanks to a truly unique experiment performed in the most iconic spot in the city: the Eiffel Tower! The experiment, which was the first significant evidence of the existence of cosmic radiation, also highlights the challenges scientists experienced in the early 20th century and the ingenuity they used to overcome them
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