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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目需要电压可调微环，光波导谐振器的建设。这些器件将利用新型波导电光技术，能够进行大折射率调制（目前？02、有潜力的？n. 05）。这种大折射率调制使得微环结构具有广泛的可调谐谐振（10 nm，并且可能高达100 nm）、快速调谐时间（1毫秒）、低光学损耗和极低功耗（每个环0.05毫瓦）。此外，创新的电极几何形状提供了独立于极化的操作。这些电压调谐微环将取代热光调谐环形谐振器，热光调谐环形谐振器仅提供有限的可调谐性（dn/dt ~~ 1.5~~10-5/oC），具有高偏振依赖性，并且历史上功耗过高（每个环~~ 0.5瓦）。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），低成本的电光滤波和交换系统将被要求满足即将到来的光纤到户和“最后一英里”部署需求。自2002年以来，美国和欧洲部署的长距离密集波分复用（DWDM）系统几乎完全由可重构光分插复用器（ROADM）构成。典型的部署系统通过阅读传入的光信号并将其转换为可以路由的电信号来工作。转换回光学是由可调谐激光器阵列执行的。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过高。目前ROADM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。总的来说，增长将取决于ROADM技术的可负担性和可靠性。本提案中概述的技术将通过降低成本，同时保持性能和可靠性，提供一种新的固有灵活的全光学解决方案。除了ROADM之外，电压可调微环还将使各种有用的设备成为可能，从光谱滤波器到光交叉连接，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.