Researchers have created a new type of optical memory called a programmable photonic latch, which is both fast and scalable. This memory unit provides a high-speed solution for temporary data storage in optical processing systems, utilizing silicon photonics to enhance performance.
The programmable photonic latch is inspired by the set-reset latch, a fundamental electronic memory device that stores a single bit of data. It works by switching between two states: set (1) and reset (0), based on input signals.
Enhancing Optical Systems with Fast Memory
“While optical communications and computing have seen significant progress over the past decades, data storage has been predominantly implemented using electronic memory,” said the study’s author Farshid Ashtiani from Nokia Bell Labs. “Having a fast optical memory that can be used with optical processing systems, as well as other optical systems used in communications or sensing, would make them more efficient in terms of energy and throughput.”
In a paper published today in the Optica Publishing Group journal Optics Express, the researchers describe a proof-of-concept experiment in which they demonstrated the photonic latch using a programmable silicon photonic platform. Features such as optical set and reset, complementary outputs, scalability, and compatibility with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) make this approach promising for faster and more efficient optical processing systems.
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