The history (and future) of the transistor
It amazes me that all our (non-quantum) computing is based on one
simple logic element.. the transistor.. "Here comes a current, I'll
behave just like a wire and let it pass straight through..... unless I
see a voltage on this terminal.. in which case I'll block the incoming
current."
When William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain invented the
transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 they did not of course invent the
logic gate.. just an amazing new way to fabricate it.
Up until then each logic gate was implemented by a vacuum tube about
5" tall. I know because I played with them. You could fit about 8 into
a square foot. Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain led the way to putting
billions into a square inch.
The optical transistor is exactly the same from a logic point of view.
"Here comes a photon, I will be transparent and let it through.....
unless I see a photon on this terminal, in which case I will turn
opaque and block the incoming photon."
So what's missing now is a fabrication breakthrough.
I believe optical computing will totally revolutionize computing as we know it.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com