SBIR Phase I: Ultra-high throughput parallel optical links for chip-to-chip interconnects.

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to demonstrate a platform for increasing computing power and decreasing power consumption in applications such as: datacenter search, machine learning, cell phones, and personal electronics. By addressing the key bottleneck of data interconnects at short length scales, this project will enable new computing architectures that can learn, retrieve information, and solve problems beyond the reach of conventional computing. The impact will range from chip companies to electronic packaging, to the system companies and ultimately to the users of computing services, from businesses to individuals. Addressing this interconnect bottleneck will realize more powerful personal computing that consumes less power, creates more efficient data centers, and accelerates widespread adoption of new machine learning architectures. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses a key issue of moving data within and between computing platforms. As the length of a datalink increases, the power consumption and density drop. Generally electrical wires are used for length scales less than a meter, and optics are used for high speed signals over a few meters. This project will enable a new light source based on Gallium Nitride devices, typically used in lighting and display applications. Through this approach, optical signaling can be used at shorter distances, giving much higher density and lower electrical power consumptions. The goal of this project is to demonstrate an optical link with 10x to 100x lower power than electrical wiring and 100x the density of traditional optical links. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.