INTEGRATED FIBER OPTIC THEORY INTO INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY

WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY INVOLVING ELECTRO-OPTIC DEVICES THAT COMBINE FIBER-OPTICS, MICROWAVE THEORY, AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY. OUR PROPOSED IDEAS ARE BASED ON THE PULSE-POWER AND REPETITION RATES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM A MODE-LOCKED SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE LASER, WHICH WE HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. SUCH OPTICAL LOGIC DEVICES ARE BASED ON PICOSECOND COUPLING OF HIGH-SPEED SIGNALS TO AND FROM THE GAAS SHIP AND REQUIRE SOLUTION OF THE RELATED PROBLEMS OF PARASITICS, LOADING, AND AN UNAMBIGUOUS DETERMINATION OF THE GATE DELAY. NUMEROUS VARIATIONS OF THESE TECHNIQUES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO DEVELOP MICROWAVE THEORY FOR THE REDUCED SIZE USED BY CURRENT FIBER OPTIC WAVE GUIDES AND IC CIRCUITS. THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCH CONCEPTS FOR NOVEL DESIGNS OF ULTRA HIGH SPEED OPTICAL SWITCHING, SIGNAL PROCESSING AND LOGIC OPERATION IN COMPACT DEVICES WILL BE EXPLORED.