Researchers from Belgian research lab IMEC and Ghent University have produced optical RAM. All-optical networks could result.
"The optical random access memory has been achieved with disc lasers with a diameter of 7.5µm," said IMEC. "The laser light can either propagate in the clockwise or counter clockwise direction and one can switch between these two laser modes using short optical pulses."
The lasers at implemented in indium phosphide membranes, heterogeneously integrated onto passive silicon waveguide circuits.
"This allows to optically interconnect different memory cells using silicon wires," said IMEC. "The discovery paves the way to do the switching in optical fibre networks or optical interconnect systems completely optically and to no longer rely on optoelectronic conversions."
Results were achieved in collaboration with TU Eindhoven and INL (Institute for Nanotechnology in Lyon) in the framework of the European
FP7 projects HISTORIC and WADIMOS are coordinated by IMEC-INTEC.
A paper has been published in Nature Photonics.