<title>Digital N4 & N5 free space optoelectronic ROM</title>

Abstract

A volume photorefractive optical memory architecture can be integrated into 2D arrays of reconfigurable optical interconnect pixels for high performance digital processing applications such as high speed telecommunications and computing. This volume memory array will ultimately be implemented into a high performance optical computing module architecture. These modules use planar diffractive optical interconnect elements where fixed programs are stored. The insertion of volume photorefractive optical interconnect element technology will provide wavelength selective interconnect reconfigurability at system clock speeds (or faster). Target switching speeds of 1 ns may be achieved by electrical tuning of a multisection distributed Bragg reflection edge or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode. This photonic random optical memory access system is referred to as `PROMAC'.