Integrated photonics for a petabit optical switch

随着我们转向云计算模式，通过互联网传输的数据量将 在未来五年内翻三倍。到本世纪末，以太网连接， 在建筑物和电信中心内建立的短距离网络将以每兆兆比特的速率传输数据。 二是比当今最先进水平高出十倍以上。然而，对于即将到来的太比特时代， 为了实现这一目标，通信设备在适应这些前所未有的数据速率方面取得了突破， needed. 在本计画中，我们将探讨光子元件、光子积体电路、电子积体 策略，和原型，以扩大到一个千兆比特的光开关。交换机是一类重要的网络 设备，引导网络内的数据流。有1000个输入和1000个输出端口的交换机 每一个每秒传送1太比特的数据转换为每秒1太比特的吞吐量，这大约是每秒1太比特的60倍。 比当今最先进的产品还要高。 目前，开关是用电子方式完成的，所以光信号被转换成电信号，然后再转换回来 转换成光信号这种方法的问题是不可持续的功率和热密度， 数据速率增加。不需要光-电-光转换的光开关可以 效率会提高几百倍我们将克服光交换领域长期存在的挑战 可扩展性、低功耗和损耗，通过使用在定制的系统中实现的光子集成电路， 在绝缘体上硅平台上的氮化硅。我们的平台提供的性能是 其他传统的集成光子平台，是最有前途的光子集成 可扩展到1000 × 1000端口千兆比特光交换机的电路。

As we shift to the cloud computing paradigm, the amount of data being communicated over the Internet will triple in the next five years. By the end of decade, it is expected that Ethernet connections, the protocol for short distance networks found inside buildings and datacenters, will be carrying data at rates of a terabit per second, more than ten times higher than today's most advanced standard. However, for the terabit era to come to fruition, breakthroughs in communication equipment to accommodate these unprecedented data rates are needed. In this project, we will investigate the photonic devices, photonic integrated circuits, electronic integration strategies, and prototypes to be scaled to a petabit optical switch. A switch is an important class of network equipment, which directs data flow within the network. A switch having 1000 input and 1000 output ports each carrying 1 terabit per second translates to a throughput of a petabit per second, which is about 60 times higher than today's state-of-the-art products. At present, switching is done electronically, so optical signals are converted to electrical signals and then back into optical signals again. The problem with this approach is the unsustainable power and thermal density as the data rate increases. An optical switch that does not require optical-to-electronic-to-optical conversion can be hundreds-fold more efficient. We will overcome the longstanding challenges in optical switching of scalability, low power consumption, and losses by using photonic integrated circuits implemented in a custom silicon nitride on silicon-on-insulator platform. Our platform offers performance that cannot be matched by other conventional integrated photonic platforms and is the most promising for making photonic integrated circuits that are scalable to a 1000 x 1000 port petabit optical switch.