circuit board
© Flickr/ Carl Drougge
Russian scientists from the Siberian Institute of Geology and Mineralogy have succeeded in growing modified diamonds, in what is a step closer to faster computers run on light, the head of the institute said Monday.

Optical computing, also called photonic computing, uses photons in light beams to transfer information rather than slower electric current.

"We have learned to grow diamond crystals with germanium defect centers. This material is key to building next-generation computers, so called photon computers," Institute's Director Nikolai Pokhilenko told reporters.

optics devises
© FLICKR/ PENN STATETransformation optics devices that perform diverse, simple functions can be integrated together to build complex photonic systems for optical communications, imaging, computing, and sensing.
Pokhilenko explained that processors in optical computers would run around 10 million times faster than in the existing digital computers.

Siberian scientists can now insert germanium atoms into the diamond lattice - its crystal structure - composed of carbon atoms to create germanium centers. This will allow to replace existing silicon and gallium arsenide microchips run on electrons by those using light.