Fiber Optic Cable with a spiral twist could make the internet speed increase by a hundred-fold. In other words, detecting light that is twisted into a spiral, could be a major breakthrough in increasing the internet speeds.
What is Fiber Optic Cable?
Fiber Optic Cable is bundles of fiber optics, which are long and thin and made of glass. It is through the fiber optic cable that light pulses are transmitted. Light pulses bounce off the glass just like light bounces off a mirror. The light pulses that pass through the fiber optic cable is used to transmit information. It is through the colour of light that information is stored and it is also dependent on whether it is horizontal or vertical.
Research on the new Fiber Optic Cable
According to the Australian RMIT University, the research carried out is based on fiber optics that imitates DNA, which is the basic unit of life. The research conducted by the Australian RMIT University says that when light is twisted into a spiral, the transmission speeds increase to a great extent.
In the present scenario, light pulses bounce off the glass. If there is a twist to the light, then it will create a third dimension for the light to carry information. It is also called the level of orbital angular momentum which is known as ‘spin’ in physics.
Min Gu, a professor from RMIT University that lead the team, made this breakthrough. He is quoted in the Guardian saying that the twisted light is like DNA, which is a double helix spiral. He further goes on to say that if you can use the angular momentum more, then much more information can be carried.
Though other fibers have been used to twist light, they were not very productive. Earlier, researchers in the US created a fiber that could twist light, but Min Gu’s team of researchers created a detector that could read the information it contains. The previous detectors were the size of a dining table while the new detector created by Min Gu and his team is the width of a human hair. They are of the opinion that they could produce the first chip that could use the spiral twisting which could be used for mobile applications.
The use of Fiber Optic Cable
Major players like Google and Microsoft have been using fiber optic cable. Min Gu says that the new technology could be used to upgrade the networks in Australia. The government in Australia need to take the decisions regarding fiber optics instead of copper wire and the network operators and equipment manufacturers also need to accept it before it can be operational. Another factor that needs to be addressed is what speeds the devices on either end of the high-speed fiber could handle. This could be the deciding factor which could limit the use of fiber optic cables.
Min Gu is confident that the fiber optic cable with the spiral twist could be ready for marketing. The fiber optic cables with the spiral twist need acceptance before they become operationally ready.
