DCU research project to develop laser-powered information transfer component for data centres
A team of researchers and partner institutions led by DCU have successfully completed initial tests on laser IT technology they predict could increase energy efficiency in data centres by 70-80%.
The project is being led by Prof Liam Barry, Full Professor of Electronic Engineering at DCU and Director of the Radio and Optical Communications Lab, and has been funded to the tune of €2.5 million by the EU. The consortium aims to create a viable solution in five years when the market is expected to be valued at €14 billion.
Initial tests demonstrated the potential of optical interconnect technology to facilitate quick and efficient data transfer up to 10km. By contrast, existing electrical interconnects, which connect graphic processing units (GPU) within data centres, can only transfer over a few centimetres.
This technology could greatly reduce the cost and energy consumption of the data centres which will handle the increased demand for power to meet the processing needs of artificial intelligence.
Data centres in Ireland currently account for 20% of all electricity consumed – already reaching the projection for Europe as a whole for 2030. Should the project prove successful it is anticipated that 1 billion lasers per year could be required by the end of the decade to support the demand for optical interconnects within supercomputers and data centres.
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