WDM, Virtual Optoelectronic Crossbar for Terabit Networks

The primary goal of the proposed Phase II effort is to develop a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) virtual optoelectronic crossbar system architecture. By using the company's enabling optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) device technologies, azero latency, WDM virtual optoelectronic crossbar will be developed for premises based as well as long haul, terabit networks. The virtual crossbar eliminates the requirement for central network switches and servers, thus providing zero latency duringcommunications. The crossbar can be readily integrated into high speed local area networks (LANs) and storage area networks (SANs) to provide optical backbone operating performance at the desktop. Therefore, the optical fiber becomes the network. Thedual-use, virtual optoelectronic crossbar will provide a cost effective, scalable system by incorporating the company's enhanced parallel (N3) and global (N4) architectures using high fan-in and fan-out as well as WDM. This system architecture could notbe implemented using linear arrays of edge emitting lasers due to their extremely high costs and difficulties during device integration. Instead, the virtual crossbar will be implemented using OEIC device technologies, which include low cost arrays ofvertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodetectors integrated onto CMOS circuitry. The virtual crossbar also leverages the company's innovative waveguide coupler technology to achieve >90% coupling efficiency.