It also showed mock-ups of the cables that will carry the data. They were not working samples, and Intel did not show the interconnect technology in action, but it showed how the cables will be thinner than those used for Thunderbolt and USB 3.0.

Thunderbolt, introduced in February, can transfer data between devices at up to 10 gigabits per second. Intel developed the technology with Apple, which offers Thunderbolt ports in its new MacBook Pro laptops. The initial version uses copper wires, but Intel hopes to start using optical cables next year.

Thunderbolt already helps reduce the number of chips and connector ports in devices by supporting both the PCI-Express and DisplayPort protocols. The new photonics technology should support those protocols as well as others, Demain said.

Thunderbolt will likely coexist alongside the new technology in some devices, he said. "We see them as complementary. It's the evolution of these connectors and protocols as they move forward," Demain said. "Thunderbolt is more than a cable. It's a router chip that aggregates DisplayPort and PCI-Express."

Intel has been , as have IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other vendors. IBM has been exploring its use for connecting transistors on chips, rather than just between larger devices.