An Optically Clocked Transistor Array for High-Speed Asynchronous Label Swapping: 40 Gb/s and Beyond

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 692 - 703
• Main Authors: Urata, R., Takahashi, R., Suemitsu, T., Nakahara, T., Suzuki, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 15-03-2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Arrays; Baseband; Circuit properties; Circuit testing; Clocks; CMOS integrated circuits; Conversion; Devices; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; High electron-mobility transistor (HEMT); High speed; High speed optical techniques; Integrated optoelectronics. Optoelectronic circuits; label swapping; Labels; metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM); Multiprotocol label switching; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical arrays; Optical devices; optical packet switching; Optical telecommunications; Optoelectronic devices; optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC); Photonic integrated circuits; Polystyrene resins; Semiconductor devices; Switching and signalling; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Transistors; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Processor; Prototype; Optical telecommunication; Clock; Optimal design; optical packet switching; High electron mobility transistor; Series parallel connection; Optical switching; Complementary MOS technology; Subsystem; Testing equipment; metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM); High rate transmission; optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC); High performance; Packet switching; Base band; Compact design; MSM structure; High electron-mobility transistor (HEMT); Pulse generation; Integrated optoelectronics; Integrated circuit; Low-power electronics; label swapping
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2007.915279

We describe the development of an optically clocked transistor array (OCTA) interface device for label swapping high-speed asynchronous burst optical packets. The OCTA integrates the three critical functions of serial-to-parallel (SP) conversion, parallel-to-serial (PS) conversion, and clock-pulse generation into a simple optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) to create a single-chip interface between the input/output baseband optical labels and a CMOS label processor. The result is a high-performance label swapping solution which is compact and low power. In this paper, a detailed investigation of the design and optimization of the circuit is first performed, followed by testing of device stability under subsystem operating conditions. Finally, demonstrations of single-channel switching speeds allowing greater than 100-Gb/s operation, 40-Gb/s SP and PS conversion with an eight-channel OCTA, and error-free label swapping of 10-Gb/s asynchronous optical packets with a prototype label swapper module are described.