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    Laser pulse study could lead to ultrafast computers

    by 
    Mariella Moon
    Mariella Moon
    03.14.2017

    Computers that run 100,000 times faster than current ones can change life as we know it. They could help discover distant planets more quickly or diagnose illnesses much, much earlier than usual, among other things. A team of researchers, including engineers from the University of Michigan, believe they've found a way to achieve that goal using extremely short laser pulses. The researchers have demoed a method to control "femtosecond" (one quadrillionth of a second) pulses of light that can move electrons quickly and efficiently. U of Michigan says it's a step toward "lightwave electronics," and eventually, quantum computing.