Plasmonic Logic Devices

Digital electronics is approaching its limits in meeting the demand for increased processing speeds. Photonics, while promising high processing speed, is lacking integration capacity. Plasmonics promises to combine the information capacity of photonics with the integration density of electronics. The team of Luna Innovations, UCLA and Virginia Tech proposes to develop plasmonic logic devices and circuitry that will have an ultrasmall footprint, high bit rate, low power consumption, low insertion losses and spectral range compatible with presently used optical communication components. The proposed fabrication technique would be compatible with mass-production, offering low cost at high volumes. Such a device would provide the basis for future optical signal processing solutions and will ultimately lead to more powerful and efficient logic devices. In Phase I, the plasmonic devices and circuitry will be designed, the feasibility of the concept will be proven through modeling, key fabrication processes will be validated and the commercialization strategy will be enhanced. In Phase II, the design will be revised, a prototype will be fabricated and the commercialization strategy will be finalized. By the end of Phase II, an ultradense plasmonic logic gate will be demonstrated and fully characterized. In Phase III, Luna will commercialize the technology. BENEFIT: The unique performance features of the proposed ultracompact plasmonic active devices would make it an ideal solution for a number of important applications (e.g., optical communications, optical signal processing, etc.). The proposed technology has the potential to revolutionize the signal processing industry and may have a tremendous impact on US and global economies by providing a new platform for data processing and routing. The developed plasmonic logic devices will also find use in other applications such as data processing of military sensing systems. Luna’s previous work in the development of telecommunication components and testing equipment has attracted the attention of numerous OEMs who will consult with Luna to identify a commercialization strategy. By closely collaborating with industry principals, Luna’s technology will quickly transition from the laboratory to the market place and will be engineered to meet specific industry needs. The proposed technology will significantly reduce the size of present day optical components while increasing the clock speed of processors thus ensuring a high market impact and an outstanding commercialization potential of the proposed technology.