SHF: Small: THz surface Wave Based Interconnect Technology for Ultra-fast Data Transfer

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Technological advancements in data transfer mechanisms need to stay abreast of the exponential growth in high-bandwidth, exascale computing used in almost all aspects of modern life. This project aims at high speed information transfer through an unconventional yet promising technology based on terahertz surface wave, and chalk out the plan for developing software machinery in order to support the physical design of the novel system. A number of Python-script based applications that will be developed during the proposed research will be also leveraged for interactive tools that will help K-12 students visualize the essence of our data-driven modern science. The educational tools such as books, videos, hardware demonstrations, which will be developed during the research activities will be disseminated to other research and educational communities and to the general public. The big research community on high-speed electronics will benefit as a whole out of this project, as the corresponding outcomes will be conveyed to them through the journals and conferences. The project involves developing terahertz-spoof surface plasmon interconnect technology: a new pathway for digital data transmission for high speed and energy efficient communication among electronic chips. Like all sophisticated systems, this technology also requires development of special computational software and computer aided design (CAD) tools in order to test, validate, and automate the design process which can remarkably save the time and cost needed to establish this technology. However, the standard commercial CAD tools are optimized for mostly either gigahertz electronics, or optical devices, leaving a technology gap for terahertz. Being aware of the fact that the electro-dynamic analysis of terahertz electronics is fundamentally more critical than other frequencies, the project aims to adopt special strategies, such as implementation of modular space analysis in conjunction with multi-level simulation methodologies for efficient analysis of communication systems operating in terahertz spectrum. The development of software analysis tools will be paired with the simultaneous hardware implementation of the terahertz-speed interconnect system, and validate the theory produced.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.