9412357 Blumenthal The Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC) and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology will purchase a continuous wavelength tunable, ultra-wide bandwidth modulated, 1.55 micron center wavelength laser system which will be dedicated to support research in engineering. The equipment will be used for several research projects, including in particular: I) the investigation of bandwidth limitations in wavelength division multiplexed all-optical networks, II) characterization of wavelength division multiplexed based components fabricated in the Georgia Tech MiRC, in particular wavelength division multiplexers and demultiplexers and resonant enhanced cavity photodetectors, and III) characterization of components for high-speed, widebandwidth optical communications including optical amplifiers, photodetectors, photonic switches, and filters used in all-optical and optical communications networks. The proposed equipment is key to the ongoing effort at Georgia Tech in wavelength division multiplexed optical communications, all-optical networking, and device integration. Optical networks, in particular all-optical networks, have the potential to form the basis for the future national communications infrastructure. Critical research issues include designing and constructing state-of-the-art networks that have high probability for advanced development, and development, and fabrication of highly integrated, low cost, integrated circuit compatible wavelength division multiplexed devices. The proposed equipment will allow the researchers to study the effects of combining multiple optical WDM devices in a networking environment. It will also allow the investigators to quantify effects that limit the number of user and geographic distances over which these networks to quantify effects that limit the number of user and geographic distances over which these networks can operate. Finally, the critical characterization of low cost, high performa nce devices for all optical and optical networks will be performed with the proposed equipment.
