ry and pro- cessing of information in fiber-optic communications more efficient. "In our high-optical-quality films, light interacts 10 to 100 times more strongly with itself, for all wavelengths used in optical fiber communications, than in previ- ously reported C60-based materials," says Sargent. "We've also shown for the first time that we can meet commercial engineering requirements: the films perform well at 1,550 mm, the wavelength used to communicate information over long distances." Creating the material required research that was not unlike assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle. "The key to making this powerful signal-processing material was to master the chemistry of linking together the buckyballs and the polymer," says Wang. Although it will be several years before the new material can enter com- mercial use, its development proves an important point, says Sargent, "This work proves that 'designer molecules' synthesized using nanotechnology can have powerful implications for future generations of computing and commu- nications networks." 4.2.6 Old Glass/New Promise An Ohio State University engineer and his colleagues have discovered some- thing new about a 50-year-old type of fiberglass: it may be more than one and a half times stronger than previously thought. That conclusion, and the tech- niques engineers used to reach it, could help expand applications for glass fibers. The half-century-old glass, called E-glass, is the most popular type of fiber- glass and is often used to reinforce plastic and other materials. Prabhat K. Gupta, a professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State Uni- versity and his coresearchers have developed an improved method for meas- uring the strength of E-glass and other glass fibers, including those used in fiber-optic communications. The method could lead to the development of stronger and cheaper fiber runs. THE FUTURE IS FIBER-OPTICAL TECHNOLOGIES The measuring method would be relatively easy to implement in industry, since it only involves holding a glass fi