title: A fast low-power optical memory based on coupled micro-ring lasers.
abstract: The increasing speed of fibre-optic-based telecommunications has focused attention on high-speed optical processing of digital information. Complex optical processing requires a high-density, high-speed, low-power optical memory that can be integrated with planar semiconductor technology for buffering of decisions and telecommunication data. Recently, ring lasers with extremely small size and low operating power have been made, and we demonstrate here a memory element constructed by interconnecting these microscopic lasers. Our device occupies an area of 18 x 40 microm2 on an InP/InGaAsP photonic integrated circuit, and switches within 20 ps with 5.5 fJ optical switching energy. Simulations show that the element has the potential for much smaller dimensions and switching times. Large numbers of such memory elements can be densely integrated and interconnected on a photonic integrated circuit: fast digital optical information processing systems employing large-scale integration should now be viable.
authors.affiliation: COBRA Research Institute, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Postbus 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands. m.t.hill@tue.nl
authors.forename: Martin T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Harmen J S
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dorren
authors.forename: Tjibbe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: Xaveer J M
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Leijtens
authors.forename: Jan Hendrik
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Den Besten
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smalbrugge
authors.forename: Yok-Siang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Oei
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Binsma
authors.forename: Giok-Djan
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Khoe
authors.forename: Meint K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Smit