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

可重构光学互连在并行处理、光子交换和电子/光混合计算系统中有着广泛的应用。该计划的主要目标是评估利用衬底模式全息图的元件和具有可逆的光致各向异性特性的材料层来实现这种类型的互连网络的可能性。基片模式全息图在基片内重定向全内反射光束，最近报道的光可逆双折射材料由聚合物基质中的有机偶氮染料组成。这项研究工作将集中在：1)建模和制作衬底模式全息图，2)发展光可逆各向异性材料的制备技术，3)形成和评价在该材料中形成的诱导各向异性效应和偏振全息图，以及4)评估将基模全息图和光可逆各向异性材料层相结合的互连结构。这一努力将使人们更好地理解基模全息图和偶氮染料的特性：聚合物记录材料。它还将为检查一些可重新配置的光学互连系统提供基础。

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.