64
Ultra-Dense
WDM Optical Interconnect Using Silicon NanoComposites--Ionic Systems, Inc.,
Unit 417, 1430 Tully Road,
Dr. Ronald Kubacki, Principal Investigator, kubacki@ionic.com
Ms. Constance Eve Teague, Business Official, ceteague@ionic.com
DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-01ER83257
Amount: $750,000
Optical communication provides significant advantages in bandwidth and security and has been implemented in long haul telecom networks around the world. Technical solutions that prove cost effective in the long haul arena are proving prohibitive to the implementation of optical communication for shorter distance applications. Devices must be developed that will permit the advantages of optical communication to be realized over shorter distances, eventually leading to the integration of optical communication within individual computer chips for ultra high speed computing. This project will use self-assembled, silicon-quantum-dot nanocomposites and related deposition processes to produce high precision micro-optical circuits that are “tuned,” through local exposure to deep ultra violet radiation, for response after fabrication. The Phase I effort screened materials and produced both ring resonator devices and Mach Zender interferometers with the self-assembled nanocomposites. The response of the ring resonator devices was trimmed over a broad range. Also, the ability of the interferometer to optimize transmission was altered with non-contact photoexposure. Phase II will continue the nanocomposite engineering for microphotonic applications, develop designs and modeling tools to capitalize on the nanocomposite properties, and develop a precision local exposure tool to precision-trim the photonic circuits. The results obtained from these three parallel efforts will be combined to construct and test precision-ring-resonator-based, all-optical, add-drop multiplexers for use in optical communication.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Devices based on the engineered naocomposite materials and trim process should be 99% smaller than currently available devices, while offering two to three orders of magnitude improvement in performance and two orders of magnitude cost reduction. In addition to the photonic device market, the technology also should enable the next dramatic implementation of optical communication to individual businesses and homes.