Indian-American Raj Dutt, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus, has developed a next-generation energy-efficient computer chip that has caught the attention of the Pentagon, which is testing its application in the ambitious F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
The breakthrough technology by Mr Dutt, Chairman and CEO of privately-held APIC Corp and Photonic Corp, helps computer processors consume up to 90 per cent less energy and run up to 60 per cent faster.
“The significance of the technology is that information transfer on the semiconductor chip as well as between components, will now be done using light — photons — instead of just electrons (electronics),” California-based Mr Dutt told PTI.
There are many advantages in size, weight and especially power consumed, he explained during his recent trip to Washington, where he met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Photons do not generate heat, thus they do not need to be cooled. For electronics, cooling is one of the largest cost components.