RIA: Reconfigurable Optical Interconnects with Guided Substrate Mode Holographic Optical Elements

可重构光互连在并行处理、光子开关和混合电子/光学计算系统中有着广泛的应用。该计划的主要目标是评估使用衬底模式全息图和具有可逆光致各向异性特性的材料层的元件实现这种类型互连网络的可能性。衬底模式全息图在衬底内重新定向完全内部反射的光束，最近报道的光可逆双折射材料由有机偶氮染料在聚合物基体中组成。这项研究工作将集中于：1)基板模式全息图的建模和制备，2)发展光可逆各向异性材料的制备技术，3)形成和评价诱导各向异性效应和在该材料中形成的偏振全息图，4)评价衬底模式全息图和光可逆各向异性材料层相结合的互连结构。这一努力将提高对衬底模式全息图和偶氮染料聚合物记录材料特性的理解。它还将为研究许多可重构光互连系统提供基础。

Reconfigurable optical interconnects have numerous applications for parallel processing, photonic switching, and hybrid electronic/optical computational systems. The principle objective of this program is to evaluate the possibility of realizing this type of interconnect network with an element which uses a substrate mode hologram and layers of a material with reversible, photoinduced anisotropic properties. The substrate mode hologram redirects a totally internally reflected beam within the substrate, and the recently reported photo-reversible birefringent material consists of organic azo-dye in a polymer matrix. This research effort will concentrate on: 1) modeling and fabricating substrate mode holograms, 2) developing preparation techniques for the photo-reversible anisotropic material, 3) forming and evaluating the induced anisotropic effects and polarization holograms formed in this material, and 4) evaluating interconnect structures which combine substrate mode holograms and layers of the photo- reversible anisotropic material. This effort will result in improved understanding of the characteristics of substrate mode holograms and azo-dye:polymer recording materials. It will also provide a basis for examining a number of reconfigurable optical interconnect systems.