Universal reconfigurable optical logic with silicon-on-insulator resonant structures

Abstract

Two areas of intense current research, optical logic and silicon photonics, can be combined to create optical logic in silicon substrates. We describe a generic (universal) optical logic gate based on silicon components that can be programmed electronically to perform any logical operation on light beams confined in a silicon waveguide under control of the silicon electronics on the same chip. The effect is to create enhanced integration between optics and electronics.