Protocol-Transparent, Universal Optical Front-End for 10 Gb/s Network Interface Cards

72905S03-I High speed networks will be required to deliver the large data volumes associated with DOE science experiments. Deployment scenarios for 10 Gb/s enterprise and access networks will require optical interfaces capable of spanning distances from 100 m to 10 km. Presently available 10 Gb/s optical front-ends are not generally applicable because they are either lacking in capability or are too large, power hungry, and costly. This project will develop a new optical front-end/transceiver based on combining single-mode, vertical-cavity-surface-emitting-laser (VCSEL) transmitter technology with a payload-agnostic electrical interface. This optical front-end is expected to provide the optimum solution for any transport protocol over the entire range from 100 m to 10 km. In Phase I, a laboratory bench-top prototype of the optical interface will be constructed. Robust transmission of 10 Gb/s signals through up to 10 km of standard optical fiber will be demonstrated. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: The optical front-end should offer a low-cost, superior performance solution applicable to practically all 10 Gb/s enterprise and access applications, including computing clusters, storage networks, servers, and advanced workstations.