About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Publication
Nature Photonics
Paper
High-throughput silicon nanophotonic wavelength-insensitive switch for on-chip optical networks
Abstract
Recent advances in silicon nanophotonics, including demonstrations of ultracompact modulators, germanium waveguide photodetectors and wavelength-division multiplexers, indicate the feasibility of on-chip optical interconnects integrated with multicore microprocessors. Studies have suggested that direct replacement of part or all of the electrical interconnect wiring with point-to-point optical links may not provide sufficient power savings to make this approach attractive to chip designers. However, if high-bandwidth optical signals can be switched and routed using an on-chip silicon nanophotonic interconnection network, significant performance gains can be expected. Here we show an ultracompact (40 × 12 νm2) wavelength-insensitive switch based on cascaded silicon microring resonators, which may bring this vision closer to reality by serving as a critical basic element for scalable on-chip optical networks. Fast (< 2 ns) error-free (bit error rate < 1 ×10 -12) switching of multiple (up to 9) 40-Gbit s-1 optical channels is demonstrated in a temperature-insensitive (±15°C) device. © 2008 Nature Publishing Group.