InP-Based Foundry PICs for Optical Interconnects

Soares, Francisco; Baier, Moritz; Gaertner, Tom; Grote, N.; Moehrle, Martin G.; Beckerwerth, Tobias; Runge, Patrick; Schell, Martin

doi:10.3390/app9081588

Cited by 34 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…However, in terms of energy efficiency, the proposed optical CAM and RAM configurations rely on bulk SOA-based modules of a generic library-based InP platform, which are however known to be rather power-and footprint-hungry components [66]. As a result, the proposed optical CAM and RAM cells consume a few hundred of pJ/bit, due to the high current required to power up the SOAs.…”

Section: Discussion and Future Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical memory architectures for fast routing address look-up (AL) table operation

et al. 2019

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Today, the increasing demand for fast routing processes has turned the address look-up (AL) operation into one of the main critical performance operations in modern optical networks, since it conventionally relies on slow-performing AL tables. Specifically, AL memory tables are comprised of content addressable memories (CAMs) for storing a known route of the forwarding information base of the router, and random access memories (RAMs) for storing the respective output port for this route. They thus allow for a one-cycle search operation of a packet's destination address, yet they typically operate at speeds well below 1 GHz, in contrast with the vastly increasing optical line rates. In this paper, we present our overall vision towards light-based optical AL memory functionalities that may facilitate faster router AL operations, as the means to replace slow-performing electronic counterparts. In order to achieve this, we report on the development of a novel optical RAM cell architecture that performs for the first time with a speed of up to 10 Gb s −1 , as well as our latest works on multi-bit 10 Gb s −1 optical CAM cell architectures. Specifically, the proposed optical RAM cell exploits a semiconductor optical amplifier-Mach-Zehnder interferometer in a push-pull configuration and deep saturation regime, doubling the speed of prior optical RAM cell configurations. Errorfree write/read operation is demonstrated with a peak power penalty of 6.2 dB and 0.4 dB, respectively. Next, we present the recent progress on optical CAM cell architectures, starting with an experimental demonstration of a 2-bit optical CAM match-line architecture that achieves an exact bitwise search operation of an incoming 2-bit destination address at 10 Gb s −1 , while the analysis is also extended to a numerical evaluation of a multi-cell 4-bit CAM-based row architecture with wavelength division multiplexed outputs for fast parallel memory operations at speeds of up to 4×20 Gb s −1 . Finally, we present a comparative study between electronic and optical RAMs and CAMs in terms of energy and speed and discuss the further challenges towards our vision. entries, even causing the depletion of the remaining IPv4 address space and leading to the advent of an IPv6 protocol with a quadrupled need for address look-up (AL) requirements [5]. This increasing need for faster routing functionalities, including AL, which also requires fast hardware memories to perform fast look-up of the packet's destination address immediately upon its arrival and across the forwarding information base (FIB) of the router.On the path to speeding up hardware memory and lower latency times when fetching data, state-of-the-art highly performing electronic static random access memory (RAM) cell technology has managed to achieve operation up to 5 GHz [6][7][8]. However, RAMs are inherently limited in fast AL as, owing to the address-based fetching of data, they would require multiple sequential random access to the memory and consecutive searches of the desired content. As a re...

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Section: Discussion and Future Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical memory architectures for fast routing address look-up (AL) table operation

et al. 2019

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“…Each SOA can achieve up to 27 dB gain with a saturation output power of typically 100 mW in the optical C-Band (1530-1570 nm) [24]. The intensity modulators are Travelling Wave Electrode (TWE) Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) also realized in InP, built using MQW optimized for enhancing the Quantum-Confined Stark Effect (QCSE) in phase modulators, with a half-wave voltage Vπ as low as 3 V, with modulation frequencies up to 40 GHz [25], [26]. Finally, the photodetectors (PDs) chip are Modified Uni-Travelling Carrier (MUTC) detectors also realized in InP, with responsivity as high as 0.5 A/W and opto-electronic bandwidth above 45 GHz [24], [27].…”

Section: A Photonic Integrated Circuit Technology For the Beamformermentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Performance Estimation of a Photonic Integrated Beamforming Receiver for Scan-on-Receive Synthetic Aperture Radar

Reza

Serafino

Otto³

et al. 2021

J. Lightwave Technol.

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Synthetic aperture radar is a remote sensing technology finding applications in a wide range of fields, especially related to Earth observation. It enables a fine imaging that is crucial in critical activities, like environmental monitoring for natural resource management or disasters prevention. In this picture, the scan-on-receive paradigm allows for enhanced imaging capabilities thanks to wide swath observations at finer azimuthal resolution achieved by beamforming of multiple simultaneous antenna beams. Recently, solutions based on microwave photonics techniques demonstrated the possibility of an efficient implementation of beamforming, overcoming some limitations posed by purely electronic solutions, offering unprecedented flexibility and precision to RF systems. Moreover, photonics-assisted RF beamformers can nowadays be realized as integrated circuits, with reduced size and power consumption with respect to digital beamforming approaches. This paper presents the design analysis and the challenges of the development of a hybrid photonicintegrated circuit as the core element of an X-band scanon-receive spaceborne synthetic aperture radar. The proposed photonic-integrated circuit synthetizes three simultaneous scanning beams on the received signal, and performs the frequency down-conversion, guaranteeing a compact 15 cm 2 -form factor, less than 6 W power consumption, and 55 dB of dynamic range. The whole photonics-assisted system is designed for space compliance and meets the target application requirements, representing a step forward toward a deeper penetration of photonics in microwave applications for challenging scenarios, like the observation of the Earth from space.

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“…In the development of integrated optoelectronic devices, various technological platforms are used: Si, InP, LiNiO 3 , GaAs, GaN, SiO 2 /SiN x , polymer photonics, etc. Indium phosphide is one of the basic materials that make it possible to create both active and passive elements [1][2][3][4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Method of Low-Temperature ICP Etching of InP/InGaAsP Heterostructures in Cl2-Based Plasma for Integrated Optics Applications

et al. 2021

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Chlorine processes are widely used for the formation of waveguide structures in InP-based optoelectronics. Traditionally, ICP etching of InP in a Cl2-based plasma requires substrate temperatures in the range of 150–200 °C. This condition is mandatory, since during the etching process low-volatility InClx components are formed and at insufficient temperatures are deposited onto substrate, leading to the formation of defects and further impossibility of the formation of waveguide structures. The need to preheat the substrate limits the application of chlorine processes. This paper presents a method of ICP etching an InP/InGaAsP heterostructure in a Cl2/Ar/N2 gas mixture. A feature of the developed method is the cyclic etching of the heterostructure without preliminary heating. The etching process starts at room temperature. In the optimal etching mode, the angle of inclination of the sidewalls of the waveguides reached 88.8° at an etching depth of more than 4.5 μm. At the same time, the surface roughness did not exceed 30 nm. The selectivity of the etching process with respect to the SiNx mask was equal to 9. Using the developed etching method, test integrated waveguide elements were fabricated. The fabricated active integrated waveguide (p-InP epitaxial layers were not removed) with a width of 2 μm demonstrated an optical loss around 11 ± 1.5 dB/cm at 1550 nm. The insertion loss of the developed Y- and MMI-splitters did not exceed 0.8 dB.

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InP-Based Foundry PICs for Optical Interconnects

Cited by 34 publications

References 33 publications

Optical memory architectures for fast routing address look-up (AL) table operation

Optical memory architectures for fast routing address look-up (AL) table operation

Design and Performance Estimation of a Photonic Integrated Beamforming Receiver for Scan-on-Receive Synthetic Aperture Radar

The Method of Low-Temperature ICP Etching of InP/InGaAsP Heterostructures in Cl2-Based Plasma for Integrated Optics Applications

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