Welcome to Seminar: optical interconnection networks
Course module: 5LAH0
Course type: Graduate School
ECTS Credits: 2.5
Language of instruction: English
Offered by: Dept. Electrical Engineering; Photonic Integration Group and Electro-Optical Communication Group


Course Description
Background: The performance of computer systems increases with a factor of 1000 every 10 years and the performance of CPUs increases with a factor 100 every ten years. This scaling is the result of massive parallelism in computers and leads to a communication problem between CPUs and processing cores. Optical interconnect networks are emerging as a key technology in this interdisciplinary area, covering communications networks through to semiconductor nanophysics.

Networking topics will consider: How trends in cloud computing, supercomputing, social networking, mobile computing are defining today's and tomorrow's interconnection networks. How energy consumption relates to underlying electronic principles and where optical interconnection is and will be important. How bandwidth and energy have become limiting factors for all types of communication networks, from VLSI wires upwards. Physical component topics will include: The fundamentals of diode lasers from the perspective of energy‐use and data bandwidth. The latest concepts for micro‐ and nano‐lasers. Speed limits for optical modulation and detection. Optical resonance and 'receiver‐less' detection. The possibilities for signal processing using light. Electrical and optical interconnection will be quantitatively compared. Progress in optoelectronic integration, fabrication technologies and market requirements will finally be discussed.

Guest lecturers will participate from Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and Industry.

Assignment: a written paper using the IEEE journal template and a six page limit. The coursework task is published on the first class. The final submission deadline is within four weeks of the final class.

Recommended materials

Recommended articles from the scientific literature
Spreadsheet based design tools
Various articles
Short presentations and hand‐outs from the (guest) lecturer(s)


Learning Objectives
Students will analyze and evaluate new and established scientific concepts in the multi‐ disciplinary field of Optical Interconnection Networks. Students will summarize the necessary data for designing high‐speed, high‐connectivity, energy‐efficient networks using emerging optical technologies. Students will represent graphically the effect of physical properties on network performance. Students will compare promising future optical technologies with established electronic approaches.

Type of Examination
Written paper using the IEEE journal template and a six page limit. The coursework task is published on the first class. The final submission deadline is within four weeks of the final class.
Students make presentations to class, one of which is assessed.
Class participation is also assessed.
Lecturers:
Contact person: prof.dr. K.A. Williams

Telephone: 3441
E-mail: k.a.williams@tue.nl
Co-lecturer: dr. N. Calabretta

Telephone: 5361
E-mail: n.calabretta@tue.nl