New Molecules for a Faster Internet

An international team of researchers has discovered a new generation of optical molecules which interact 50% more strongly with light than any molecules ever tested. These organic molecules, known as chromophores, have been theorised by physicists at Washington State University, synthesised by chemists in China and tested for their actual optical properties by chemists in Belgium. But if they’re excellent candidates for being used in optical technologies such as optical switches and Internet connections, these new materials should not be used before several years — if ever