Abstract
(Englisch)
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The purpose of DO-ALL was to develop a new technology platform to perform high-speed serial bitwise high-speed optical logic using maturing photonics technology.
This platform consists of a set of optical fibre modules. In the first year of the project, 1999, the requirements for the performance of 40 Gb/s optical Bit Error Rate (BER) measurements and for the implementation of a 40 GHz 2X2 exchange bypass switch have been analysed and provided. A new fibre laser platform was realised that can deliver: a) 2-4 ps long pulses at 40 GHz, b) 10 simultaneous ultrafast wavelength channels, and c) single reference optical clock.
In the second year of the project, 2000, improved optical fibre logic modules containing newly designed and fabricated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) were implemented in 40 GHz gate modules, in 40 GHz shift register modules and in optical clock recovery circuits, again for 40 GHz.
In the third and last year, 2001, two demonstrators were set-up: a) Bit error rate measurement with all-optical techniques, and b) optically addressable exchange by-pass switch. The demonstrators were presented to the international experts at the final stage of the project, Feb. 2002, at the T.U. Athens. The demonstrators offered proof-of-principle that the basic blocks developed in the consortium can be used to perform high-speed all-optical logic functions. Such functions are required in the development of ultra-high capacity optical communications.
The principal role of the ETHZ group was to deliver semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) devices to the consortium. The SOAs were fabricated at the ETH, packaged by the partner Opto Speed, Switzerland, and were delivered in time to the two other partners, Imperial College London and T.U. Athens. The two demonstrators were thus made possible thanks to the timely delivery of the devices from the ETH. The second front of the ETHZ activity was the analysis of the dynamic behaviour of SOAs in order to explain the measurements and to explore the limits in high-speed implementation. The ETHZ work was dully disseminated in conferences and scientific publications.
No important change in the workplan occurred with the exception of a 6 month extension of the project approved by the EC in order to give more time for the preparation of the demonstrators that were finally assembled at the partner premises of the T.U. of Athens.
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