EAGER: Overcoming Thermal Sensitivity of CMOS-Compatible Nanophotonic Devices in Future Microprocessor Designs

一个由三名主要研究人员组成的小组将在与硅技术集成的背景下对纳米光子互连的前景进行全面研究，以提高计算速度，延迟和降低功耗。该项目的一个独特之处在于，PI来自不同的背景，即光子器件和计算机架构，并且将利用从设备到架构的反馈的集成设计方法将是这个具有巨大回报潜力的高风险项目的核心。 具体而言，该项目将检查纳米光子器件的热敏性，并研究其对使用光学互连的计算架构的影响。相反，还将研究建筑考虑因素对设备技术的要求。该项目的潜在更广泛影响主要是技术方面的。如果成功的话，它有可能彻底改变互连技术，这是当今大规模计算机硬件设计进一步发展的主要瓶颈之一。不过，项目执行人还计划通过讲习班和课堂努力传播其调查结果，并将妇女和代表性不足的群体纳入其活动，这将增强该项目的广泛影响。

A group of three principal investigators will undertake a holistic study of prospects of nano-photonic interconnects in the context of integration with silicon technologies for improved computational speed, latency and lower power dissipation. An unique aspect of the project is that the PIs come from different backgrounds, namely photonic devices and computer architecture, and an integrated design methodology that will exploit feedback from devices to architectures will be central to this high-risk project with potential for large payoff. Specifically, this project will examine thermal sensitivities of nano-photonic devices and study its influence on computing architectures making use of optical interconnects. Conversely, the requirements imposed by architectural considerations on the device technology will be studied as well.The potential broader impact of the project is largely technological. If successful, t has the potential to revolutionize the interconnect technology, which is one of the major bottlenecks in further progress of large scale computer hardware design today. Nevertheless, the PIs also plan to disseminate the results of their findings through workshops and class room efforts and to include women and underrepresented groups in their activities, which should enhance the broader impact of the project.