Fiber Optic Discovery Could Boost Internet Bandwidth
A new fiber optic technology could increase Internet bandwidth capacity by sending data along light beams that twist like a tornado rather than move in a straight line, scientists said Thursday.
The discovery comes as Internet data traffic is reaching its limit amid mounting demand for bandwidth by users of smartphones and Internet-enabled devices, creating problems for network providers.
The new technology uses optical vortices, which are like donut-shaped laser light beams. Also known as orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams, they were thought to be unstable in fiber until now.