The underlying demand for high-speed data transmission is growing at a staggering pace. In part to meet this demand, technology companies large and small have set their sights on the terahertz frequency regime (300-3,000 GHz). Point2 Technology and AttoTude are leading the way on this movement. They are developing innovative approaches to improve data center efficiency. Bandwidth requirements on copper cables are quickly nearing the terabit-per-second level. In turn, industry leaders across the nation are developing and experimenting with new materials and technologies in order to address these challenges.
David Kuo, vice president of product marketing and business development at Point2 Technology, emphasizes the urgent need for advancements in cable technology. He argues that the demands on our bandwidth are increasing. He refers to it as the “copper cliff,” illustrating the inability of traditional, copper-based systems to meet growing demand. The move to shorter and thicker cables is not just an ascetic choice but a requirement imposed by physics.
Innovations in Cable Technology
Point2 Technology’s e-Tube cable is a major step in this direction. Capable of transmitting 1.6 terabits per second, the e-Tube cable comprises eight slender polymer waveguides, each carrying 448 gigabits per second at frequencies of 90 GHz and 225 GHz. Even with this level of capability, this cable is just 8.1 millimeters in diameter. It’s much denser than a typical 32-gauge copper cable and can extend up to 20x further.
Kuo wants to underscore the environmental, economic, and health benefits of the e-Tube cable. It uses only one-third the energy of optical fiber, is cheaper by a third, and has up to one-thousandth the latency. This monumental leap in performance metrics is a game changer for data center pain points. It tremendously cuts energy usage and therefore operational expenses.
In a parallel development, AttoTude is working on technology to bring radio inside data centers, in particular looking at terahertz frequencies. Their system aims to address the disparity between components that are electronic and those that operate under high-speed optics. David Welch, founder and CEO of AttoTude, helped pioneer research in photonics. Digital component He imagines that answer will take the form of a digital circuit with terahertz-frequency generator interfacing to GPUs. He notes that consumers love fiber. They do hate photonics, pointing to a big market opportunity for more straightforward alternatives that use all that advanced technology in the right way.
Real-World Applications and Demonstrations
The recent demonstrations strongly support the idea that terahertz technology can be found in real-world applications. AttoTude demonstrated a 4-meter successful wireless transmission over a 970 GHz band at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference that was held this past last April. This success is a great example of what terahertz frequencies can do to improve data center interconnects and enable even more impressive data transfer speeds.
Our friends at Credo are doing great work in this space. Don Barnetson, our senior vice president and head of product, recently shared news about our creation of an Active Electrical Cable (AEC). This AEC provides an astounding 800 Gb/s throughput speed over ranges of up to seven meters. It’s a great example of one of the most innovative uses of high-frequency technology in data centers. Barnetson’s point is one that should resonate with advocates of both passive copper solutions and advanced technologies. He explains, “You begin with passive copper, and that’s just being smart—you do all the things you can to operate in passive copper as long as possible.”
Point2 Technology engineers worked closely with GIS specialists in the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to develop the software. Collectively, they’ve made impressive strides with 28-nanometer CMOS technology. Through this collaboration, DOE and NTIA will deeply explore the potential of terahertz frequencies and their incorporation into current operations.
Future Prospects in Data Transmission
They recognize that technology is changing at a breakneck speed. That means that data centers will be running a whole lot differently, once we reach the near term future. And finally, Nvidia has intentions to raise the max number of GPUs per system to 576 by 2027. This expansion will demand positive growth for intelligent and flexible data transmission solutions to keep pace with this exponential growth. With the ever-growing demand for bandwidth, exploring these terahertz frequencies is more important than ever.