Building Ultralow-Latency Interconnection Networks Using Photonic Integration

Abstract

Ultralow-latency interconnection networks have become a necessity in modern high-performance computing systems. recent advances in photonic integration technology are paving the way for a disruptive step in the design of these networks. We present SPINet, an optical interconnection network architecture designed for implementation using photonic integration, providing an end-to-end photonic path while completely avoiding optical buffering. SPINet resolves contentions through message dropping, but facilitates message recovery using a novel physical-layer acknowledgment protocol.