High Speed Optical Source for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition

72499S03-I Data acquisition in high energy physics experiments is limited by both the optical data rate that can be transferred via optical fibers and the number of fibers that can be fit into a detector without degrading detector performance. This project will increase the data rate in optical fibers by a factor of 5 to 160 times through the development of a surface-emitting semiconductor laser that can emit multiple wavelengths from a single aperture. This laser design will allow reductions in the electronics for the radiation environment and the fiber volume inside the detector. A two-wavelength, surface-emitting laser will be designed, fabricated, and tested during Phase I. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: The technology should provide very-low-cost, high-data-rate, optical sources for long-haul, metropolitan and local area networks. It should be an enabling technology for fiber-to-the-desktop, fiber-to-the-home, and digital and high-definition television.