Reconfigurable Optical Interconnections Using Dynamic Optoelectronic Holograms

Increasing complexity and processing speed of electronic circuits and a high device density have led to serious problems in electrical interconnections. Their limitations arise from their signal transmission capacity. power consumption. crosstalk. and reliability. Optical links may solve such problems by offering high data rates of several gigabits per second. large fanouts of up to 100 loads. good reliability and less power expenditure. Optical fibers, integrated optical waveguides or free-space transmission links may be applicable. For the free-space links, lenses. mirrors and holograms can be used to guide the light waves. In this paper, reconfigurable optical interconnection schemes are proposed and described which are based on optoelectronic holograms. Their interference patterns can be changed dynamically. To establish connections as free-space links, the light beams emitted from even hundreds of light sources are imaged onto an array of small dynamic holograms. Their interference patterns are optically and electronically controllable. These holograms diffract and focus each of the incident light beams individually onto the receiving photo-diodes. By changing the hologram interference patterns dynamically. an optical switch is obtained. It renders the establishment of reconfigurable optical interconnections. As optoelectronic holograms very-high-resolution spatial light modulators are proposed.