1012 bit/s optoelectronics technology

Recent advances in material fabrication techniques, analytic tools and computational power have greatly enhanced the prospect of making electrons and photons work, respectively, in their best roles. 1012 bit/s operating speed might be reached. Two basic research questions arise: (i) what are the configurational, physical, and material constraints which prevent devices from operating at this speed, and can these constraints be altered? (ii) If 1012 bit/s can indeed be reached, what system functional building blocks should be generated? Research directions in this area are suggested.