The amount of information that can be sent through an optical wire is directly related to the intensity of the light. In order to perform some of the key functions in optical networking -- such as amplification, wavelength conversion and optical switching -- silicon must be illuminated with high-intensity light to take advantage of its nonlinear properties. One example is the Raman effect, a phenomenon that occurs at high optical intensities that is behind many recent breakthroughs in silicon photonics, including the first optical amplifiers and lasers made in silicon.

The fundamental challenge in silicon photonics is that the material stops allowing light to pass through at high optical intensities.

"As light intensifies in silicon, it generates electrons through a process called two- photon absorption," Jalali said. "Excess electrons absorb the light and turn it into heat. Not only is the light and the data-carrying capacity lost, the phenomenon exacerbates one of the main obstacles in the semiconductor industry, which is excessive heating of chips."

This discovery makes it much more likely that photonics and electronics will converge, and If they do, many applications that silicon photonics has promised will come to fruition, said Jalali.

Silicon photonics technology will potentially allow users to exploit the advantages of optical networking inside computers and to create a new generation of miniaturized and low-cost photonic components.