SBIR Phase I: Voltage Tunable Micro-Ring Resonators: Low-Cost, Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drops

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目需要建造电压可调的微环光波导谐振器。该设备将采用能够进行大折射率调制的新型波导电光技术(目前为第02号，可能为第05号)。这种大折射率调制使微环结构具有广泛可调的谐振(10 nm，可能高达100 nm)、快速的调谐时间(1毫秒)、低的光学损耗和极低的功耗(每环0.05毫瓦)。此外，创新的电极几何结构提供了与极化无关的操作。这些电压调谐微环将取代热光调谐环形谐振器，后者只提供有限的可调性(dN/dt~1.5~10-5/oC)，具有高度的偏振相关性，并且历史上一直是令人望而却步的功耗(~0.5W/环)。最后，电压调谐微环谐振器将实现低成本、超紧凑的可重构光分插，这是广泛的高带宽电光通信系统中的关键部件。随着计算能力和带宽的持续增长(例如，流媒体)，将需要低成本的电光过滤和交换系统来满足光纤到户和“最后一英里”的部署需求。自2002年以来，美国和欧洲部署的长途密集波分复用(DWDM)系统几乎完全由可重构光分插复用器(ROADM)构建。典型的部署系统的工作方式是读取传入的光信号，并将其转换为电信号，然后再进行路由。由可调谐激光器阵列执行回光转换。这种强力方法虽然提供了有用的性能，但对于小型网络部署来说，成本令人望而却步。目前ROADMS技术的全球潜在市场总额约为34.6亿美元，预计到2010年将实现两位数的增长。总体而言，增长将取决于ROADMS技术的可负担性和可靠性。该方案中概述的技术将通过在保持性能和可靠性的同时降低成本来贡献一种全新的、内在灵活的全光解决方案。除了ROADM，电压可调的微环还将支持一系列有用的设备，从光谱滤光器到光学交叉连接，再到路由器，仅举几例。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project entails the construction of voltage tunable micro-ring, optical waveguide resonators. The devices will exploit novel waveguide electro-optic technology capable of a large index modulation (currently ?n .02 with the potential for ?n .05). This large index modulation enables micro-ring structure with widely tunable resonances (10 nm, and potentially up to 100 nm), fast tuning times ( 1 millisecond), low optical losses, and extremely low power consumption ( 0.05 milliwatts per ring). Furthermore, innovative electrode geometry provides polarization independent operation. These voltage tuned micro-rings will replace thermo-optically tuned ring resonators, which have provided only limited tunability ( dn/dt ~~ 1.5~~10-5/oC), have high polarization dependency, and have historically been prohibitively power consumptive ( ~~ 0.5 Watts per ring). Finally, the voltage tuned micro-ring resonators will enable a low cost, ultra-compact reconfigurable optical add/drop, which is the critical component in a wide array of high-bandwidth electro-optical communications systems. As computing power and bandwidth continue to grow (e.g., streaming media), low-cost electro optical filtering and switching systems will be required to satisfy pending fiber-to-the-home and "last mile" deployment needs. Since 2002, United States and European deployment of long-haul dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems have been almost entirely constructed from reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADM). A typical deployed system works by reading incoming optical signals and converting them to electrical signals that can then be routed. Conversion back to optical is performed by an array of tunable lasers. This brute force method, while providing useful performance, is cost prohibitive for small network deployment. The current total addressable world market for ROADMs technology is around $3.46 billion with double digit growth expected through 2010. Over all growth will be determined by affordability and reliability of ROADMs technology. The technology outlined in this proposal will contribute a new and inherently agile all optical solution by reducing cost while maintaining performance and reliability. In addition to ROADMs, the voltage tunable micro-rings will enable a wide array of useful devices, ranging from spectral filters, to optical cross-connects, to routers, to name only a few.