Noting that its endeavors to replace copper wiring with light - by creating a stable, 50Gbps bond between two devices using fiber optics – had been successful, Intel said in a Tuesday announcement that it had developed what it calls “silicon photonics.”

The prototype interconnect developed by Intel essentially makes use of light to accelerate data transmission inside computers at the speed of 50 gigabits per second. The innovation not only forms the basis for a fiber optic interconnect that can supposedly be increased to 1Tbps, but may also hold the potential to be used as a substitute to copper interconnects in electronic systems.

Noting that the optical technology may eventually replace the use of copper wires and electrons for transmitting carry data inside or around computers, Intel researchers said that the prototype can transmit a high-definition feature-length film in a second.

Elaborating further, the researchers said that one of the important innovations behind the technology is the research conducted by the company, in association with UC Berkeley, for the development of hybrid silicon lasers.

The researchers explained that it was via the use of a unique process binding indium phosphide to silicon along with carefully etched gratings in formed silicon waveguides that designers could create variable-wavelength solid state laser emitters by simply manipulating the etching pattern.

Intel intends ramping up the technology for volume production, and will likely have it “widely deployed” by 2015.