Integrated Optical Comb Source

Freedom Photonics proposes to develop custom high-power optical comb sources at 1180nm which will enable low- cost high capacity CMOS photonic components to be used in high performance computing systems. To meet cost, capacity and power restrictions on future generations exascale computing, CMOS photonics will be required. The optical source Freedom Photonics is developing complements CMOS photonics through high wall-plug efficiency (>50%), and cost sharing, a single source can feed thousands of CMOS transceivers. Phase I will demonstrate the concept and reduce risk of a phase II effort. This will be done through demonstration of highly efficient 1180nm EPI material and the development of GaAs based opticxal comb source prototypes. To support ever more powerful supercomputers, data communications links must meet very challenging requirements in cost, capacity and power consumption. CMOS photonics together with the shared optical source that is here proposed has the potential to improve these factors by orders of magnitude and is a requirement for the United States to maintain its lead in the development of next generation high performance computing systems. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The source technology is applicable to all markets CMOS photonics competes in, this includes the extremely large datacenter market.