DARPA Zeno-based Opto-Electronics (ZOE) Grant

The goal of this program is to create materials and prototype devices that will demonstrate a new class of optoelectronics that operate with ultra-low energy dissipation (~100 aJ/operation). The vision is a class of all-optical devices whose function depends on materials exhibiting strong optically-induced absorption, where the presence of one wavelength of light (control) induces the absorption of a second wavelength (signal). Application of such materials could lead to all-optical devices such as switches, wavelength converters, pulse regenerators, add/drop multiplexers, and memory cells that dissipate extremely small amounts of energy per operation.

Critical features that must be considered in the development of Zeno-based Optoelectronics include:

Materials Science: Development of practical materials (gas, liquid, or solid) that exhibit strong optically-induced absorption, over a wide range of signal and control wavelengths. Ideally, except when both control and signal are present, neither should be absorbed by the material. For a given control wavelength, the range of signal wavelengths that experience absorption should be narrow, to enable wavelength division multiplexing of a device.

Device Design: Design and demonstrate practical, scalable, low loss switching devices. Operating speeds should be in the 1—100 GHz range. Possible alternative all-optical devices including switches, add/drop multiplexers, low noise pulse regenerators, wavelength converters, and memory cells that achieve their function and meet the performance metrics outlined for an optical switch will be considered.

Architecture: Because the control wavelength experiences only minute dissipation in the envisioned devices, it is conceivable that the control energy could be recycled and re-used. Scalable architectures need to be developed to take advantage of any possible energy savings.

See Attached Full Announcement Package