An international team of researchers has discovered a new generation of optical molecules that interact better with light and could dramatically increase the speed of internet connections.

The team of researchers from Washington State University, the University of Leuven in Belgium and the Chinese Academy of Science found that organic molecules known as chromophores interact more strongly with light than any molecules ever tested.

Following their research, the team realised that the molecules would be prime candidates for use in technologies such as optical switches, internet connections, optical memory systems and holograms.

The molecules were synthesised by chemists in China, evaluated according to theoretical calculations by a physicist at Washington State University and tested for their actual optical properties by chemists in Belgium.

"To our great excitement, the molecules performed better than any other molecules ever measured," said Washington State University physicist Mark Kuzyk.

Researchers have been trying to improve the materials used to handle light ever since optical technologies became prominent in the 1970s.

In 1999, Kuzyk discovered a fundamental limit to how strongly light can interact with matter, and went on to show that all molecules examined at that time fell far short of the limit.

However, the molecules described in the new report break through this long-standing ceiling and are 50 per cent better than any previously tested, which means they are far more efficient at converting light energy to a useable form.