High Bandwidth Optoelectronic Data Interfaces
USAF SBIR/STTR AF04-043
ODIS is developing a new integrated circuit platform technology to enable monolithic optoelectronics. These circuits combine electronic and optical functions and are produced by strained quantum well epitaxy and a unique fabrication methodology.
The circuits use an optoelectronic oscillator as the building block for the OE interface including clock and data recovery, mux/demux, and clock synthesis. Critical circuit blocks are designed with optoelectronic thyristors controlled by waveguide connected HFET detectors.
The OE circuit design results in a single chip interface between the fiber and the processor. By using digital electrical and optical signals types with optical for the IO, a major reduction in component count and overall chip power is achieved with bit rates in the range from 10 – 100GB/s
The technology platform enables a consolidation of laser and detector components and multiple electronic chip functions into a single integrated circuit where laser and detector functions are monolithic.
The bit rate easily accommodates 40GB/s with power consumption reduced by 10X. Because all I/O signals are optical, scaling is facilitated and for the space application the radiation hardness is dramatically improved.
This high bandwidth interface is multipurpose and different versions are useful in all sections of the spacecraft including the input and output of the router and for data exchange from all on-board processors to the optical fiber bus.
As an added benefit, the processors may be implemented in the same component base to generate seamless solutions.
Source: United States Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.
Distribution: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.