Open AccessBurst-mode optical label processor with ultralow power consumption
Author(s) -
Salah Ibrahim,
Tsutomu Nakahara,
Hiroshi Ishikawa,
Ryo Takahashi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.006985
Subject(s) - computer science , burst mode (computing) , computer hardware , network packet , optical burst switching , efficient energy use , energy consumption , optical switch , electronic engineering , optics , optical performance monitoring , electrical engineering , physics , wavelength division multiplexing , computer network , engineering , wavelength , operating system
A novel label processor subsystem for 100-Gbps (25-Gbps × 4λs) burst-mode optical packets is developed, in which a highly energy-efficient method is pursued for extracting and interfacing the ultrafast packet-label to a CMOS-based processor where label recognition takes place. The method involves performing serial-to-parallel conversion for the label bits on a bit-by-bit basis by using an optoelectronic converter that is operated with a set of optical triggers generated in a burst-mode manner upon packet arrival. Here we present three key achievements that enabled a significant reduction in the total power consumption and latency of the whole subsystem; 1) based on a novel operation mechanism for providing amplification with bit-level selectivity, an optical trigger pulse generator, that consumes power for a very short duration upon packet arrival, is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, 2) the energy of optical triggers needed by the optoelectronic serial-to-parallel converter is reduced by utilizing a negative-polarity signal while employing an enhanced conversion scheme entitled the discharge-or-hold scheme, 3) the necessary optical trigger energy is further cut down by half by coupling the triggers through the chip's backside, whereas a novel lens-free packaging method is developed to enable a low-cost alignment process that works with simple visual observation.