Abstract
(English)
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The ESPRIT project DO-ALL was launched in order to design and realise a new technology platform for high-speed serial bitwise optical logic using the best photonic devices and techniques available. In the first year of the project, 1999, the requirements for a 40 Gb/s optical Bit Error Rate (BER) measurements and for a 40 GHz 2X2 exchange bypass switch have been analysed. A new fibre laser module 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. At the final stage of the project, early 2002, these demonstrators were implemented as laboratory set-upsat 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 role of our company Opto Speed was to deliver fully packaged semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) devices to the DO-ALL consortium. The SOAs were fabricated at the ETH, and were given to our company for packaging because of our long experience in packaging and characterising photonic devices., The SOAs were then delivered in time to the two other partners, Imperial College London and T.U. Athens for experimental work. The two demonstrators were thus made possible thanks to the close collaboration of our company with the ETH. Thanks to this project, our company has disseminated its know-how in a key area of photonics to a broader international audience.
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