FEATURES
IDENTIFYING NEW MATERIALS FOR NEXT GENERATION FIBER OPTICS The ongoing transition to 5G wireless technology and high-performing phone networks, along with the growing use of high-definition data by internet and cellular providers, necessitates the development of higher capacity optical fibers that are robust, durable, and lightweight. Most telephone networks, internet connections, and cable television transmissions in use today rely on silicabased fiber-optic cables. The fibers in fiber optics are essentially transparent and flexible strands of silica glass through which light can travel. Bundled together and covered with cladding and multiple plastic and metal sheaths for protection, these fiber-optic strands serve as the waveguide through which pulses of infrared light containing information are rapidly conveyed, enabling the transmission of high-throughput data. However, as the rate of wireless data transfer has increased and become denser, this method of transmitting data has begun to falter. The discovery and development of new optic materials is needed to take the place of silica-based fiberoptic cables to ensure we can continue to meet our progressing wireless data transmission needs. In response to this need, a research team based at New York University Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) Smart Materials Lab has explored whether the properties of an
18 ISSUE 04
organic crystal are compatible with the requirements for advanced fiber optics. Specifically, they sought to analyze the optical and other physical assets and mechanical properties of a crystalline amino acid known as L-threonine. They confirmed that they are compatible with the requirements for transduction of light over a short distance. “Realizing that silica fibers may not be the most optimal solution, particularly in view of their significant weight and high degree of purity required for efficient transfer of information, we decided to investigate a completely different class of materials for the same purpose. Instead of silica, we used small crystals of organic materials, specifically the amino acid L-threonine, which is known to be among the stiffest known organic crystals. This mechanical robustness is important to be able to handle these crystals and to prevent damage by abrasion when they are incorporated into optical devices,” explained Dr. Pance Naumov, Professor of Chemistry and Principal Investigator at the Smart Materials Lab, NYUAD.
