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SARAN THAMPY DS7 CSE
ROLL NO 17
Optical computing
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Introduction
Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980s. But thework tapered off due to materials limitations.
Using light, instead of electric power, for performing
computations.
This choice is motivated by several features that light has:
It is very fast.
It can be easily manipulated (divided, transported,
delayed, split, etc)
It is very well suited for parallelization.
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Optical computing technology is, in general,developing in two directions.
One approach is to build computers that have thesame architecture as present day computers butusing optics that is Electro optical hybrids.
Another approach is to generate a completely newkind of computer, which can perform allfunctional operations in optical mode.
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Why we Use Optics for Computing?
One of the theoretical limits on how fast a computercan function is given by Einsteins principle thatsignal cannot propagate faster than speed oflight.
To make computers faster, their components must be
smaller and there by decrease the distance betweenthem.
Optical computing can solve miniaturizationproblem.
Optical data processing can be performed in parallel.
In optical computing, the electrons are replaced byphotons
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Silicon Machines Vs Optical Computers
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OPTICAL COMPUTER An optical computer (also called a photonic
computer) is a device that uses the PHOTONS in
visible light or infrared beams, rather thanelectric current to perform digital computations.
An optical computer, besides being much fasterthan an electronic one, might also be smaller.
Bright flashes of laser light can be senthundreds of miles along fine strands ofspecially made glass or plastic called OPTICALFIBERS.
Instead of transistors, such a computer willhave TRANSPHASORS
.
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And unlike transistors, transphasors can bebuilt to handle several incoming signals atonce.
Beams of light can crisscross and overlapwithout becoming mixed up, whereascrossed electric currents would gethopelessly confused.
The arrangement of connections andswitches would not have to be flat, as in anelectronic computer. It could be placed inany direction in space, allowing totally newdesigns in information processing.
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Optic Fiber cables made of glass orplastic
Glass opticfiber
Plastic opticfiber
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SOME KEY OPTICAL COMPONENTS FORCOMPUTING
VCSEL
SMART PIXEL TECHNOLOGY WDM
SLM
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.VCSEL (VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTINGLASER)
VCSEL(pronouncedvixel)is a semiconductorvertical cavity surface emitting laser diodethat emits light in a cylindrical beamvertically from the surface of a fabricatedwafer.
But rather than reflective ends, in a VCSELthere are several layers of partiallyreflective mirrors above and below theactive layer.
Layers of semiconductors with differingcompositions create these mirrors, and eachmirror reflects a narrow range ofwavelengths back in to the cavity in order tocause light emission at just one wavelength.
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Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser
850nm VCSEL
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Optical interconnection of circuitboards using VCSEL and
PHOTODIODE
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2. SMART PIXEL TECHNOLOGY
Smart pixel technology is a relatively new approach
to integrating electronic circuitry and optoelectronicdevices in a common framework.
Here, the electronic circuitry provides complex
functionality and programmability.
While the optoelectronic devices provide high-speedswitching and compatibility with existing opticalmedia.
Arrays of these smart pixels leverage the parallelismof optics for interconnections as well ascomputation..
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3. WDM (WAVELENGTH DIVISIONMULTIPLEXING)
Wavelength division multiplexing is a method ofsending many different wavelengths down thesame optical fiber.
WDM can transmit up to 32 wavelengths througha single fiber, but cannot meet the bandwidthrequirements of the present day communicationsystems.
Nowadays DWDM (Dense wavelength divisionmultiplexing) is used. This can transmit up to1000 wavelengths through a single fiber. That isby using this we can improve the bandwidthefficiency.
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4.SLM (SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATORS)
SLM play an important role in severaltechnical areas where the control of lighton a pixel-by-pixel basis is a key element,
such as optical processing and displays.
For display purposes the desire is to have
as many pixels as possible in as small andcheap a device as possible.
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MERITS
Optical computing is at least 1000 to 100000 times
faster than todays silicon machines. Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized
way to store data, with space requirements far lesserthan todays silicon chips.
No short circuits, light beam can cross each otherwithout interfering with each others data.
Higher performance
Higher parallelism
Less heat is released
Less noise
Less loss in communication
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DRAWBACKS Todays materials require much high power to
work in consumer products, coming up withthe right materials may take five years ormore.
Optical computing using a coherent source is
simple to compute and understand, but it hasmany drawbacks like any imperfections ordust on the optical components will createunwanted interference pattern due toscattering effects.
Optical components and their production isstill expensive
New expensive high-tech factories have to be
built
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FUTURE TRENDS
The Ministry of Information Technology has initiated
a photonic development program. Under thisprogram some funded projects are continuing infiber optic high-speed network systems. Research isgoing on for developing new laser diodes, photo
detectors, and nonlinear material studies for fasterswitches.
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CONCLUSION
Research in optical computing has opened up newpossibilities in several fields related to high performancecomputing, high-speed communications. To designalgorithms that execute applications faster ,the specificproperties of optics must be considered, such as theirability to exploit massive parallelism, and globalinterconnections. As optoelectronic and smart pixeldevices mature, software development will have a majorimpact in the future and the ground rules for thecomputing may have to be rewritten.
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THANK YOU