Seminar Report PDF

SEMINAR REPORT
on
OPTICAL COMPUTERS
Submitted by
JAYMIN JOY UNT15EC007
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology
In
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
Of
KERALA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
OCTOBER 2018
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE
VALLIVATTOM P.O, THRIISUR DISTRICT,KERALA-680 123

UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE
VALLIVATTOM P.O, Thrissur District, KERALA – 680 123
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND
COMMUNICATIN ENGINEERING
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar titled “OPTICAL COMPUTERS” submitted by JAYMIN JOY
Of semester 7 is a bona fide account of the work done by them under our supervision, during the
Academic year 2018-2019
Project Guide Head of the Department
Ms. Safna Beevi Ps Ms.Fathima Sasvina Beegam A
Assistant Professor Associate Professor
(Dept. of Electronics and (Dept. of Electronics and
Communication Engineering) Communication Engineering)
Head of the Institution
Dr.Jose k Jacob
Seminar Report’18 Optical computers
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
To the grace and generous blessing of the almighty, we attribute the successful
completion of my seminar. It is my duty to respectfully offer my sincere gratitude to all the
people who have kindly offered their valuable suggestions, guidance and support.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Jose K Jacob (principal, UEC) who
has been a source of motivation to all the staffs and students of my college. I privileged to
mention his guidance and co-operation.
I deeply and whole heartedly thank Ms.Fathima Sasvina Beegam, Associate

Professor and Head of the Department of ECE for her extreme valuable advice and
encouragement. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my seminar guide Ms.Safna
Beevi P S, Assistant professor (Department of ECE, UEC) my seminar coordinator
Ms.Rekha M ,Assistant Professor (Department of ECE, UEC), for her meticulous guidance
and support that helped me in the completion of my seminar.
Before I culminate I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers and
staff members of department of electronics and communication, UEC for their cooperation and
support. Last but not least, I thank all my family members and my classmates who helped me in
some way or the other for the completion of this work.
Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

ABSTRACT
According to Moore’s law the number of transistors on a computer chip doubles every 18
months. But as we continue to make transistors smaller, we will eventually run out of space on
microchips, so in order to keep advancing in computer technology without adding transistors as
it is done today, we need to change the composition of the hardware. The next step into the
future of computers is in optics. Optics offers many benefits over today’s electrical computers
including higher band width, superior processing power and enlarged storage space. Optical
computers need not be thought of merely as rapid substitutions for electronic devices. On the
contrary, the greatest benefit of optical switches could come from applications that cannot be
duplicated by other means. Optical fibers which can carry prodigious amounts of information are
being used increasingly for communications for among computers. Optical switching is a natural
candidate to mediate between electronic system and optical once. On the other hand, if the
computation is done optically to begin with optical fibers could be employed as direct links
between computer systems. There is no doubt that the optical computer is a realistic and exciting
prospect. A computer in which all internal circuits use light instead of electricity. Long predicted
an, all optical computer is not expected for some time as there are enormous hurdles to
overcome. However there are definite advantages to optical circuits over electrical ones. Light
beams are neither effected by external radiation nor by themselves. In fact, light beams can cross
each other, allowing for simpler travel paths between inputs and out puts. Optical computer
technology is still in the early stages, functional optical computers have been built in the
laboratory, but none have progressed past the proto type stage. Most research projects focus on
replacing current computer components with optical equivalents, resulting in an optical digital
computer system processing binary data. This approach appears to offer the best short-term
prospects for commercial optical computing, since optical components can be integrated into
traditional computers to produce an optical/electronic hybrid. Other research projects take a non-
traditional approach, attempting to develop entirely new method of computing that are not
physically possible with electronics.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I
ABSTRACT II
TABLE OF CONTENTS III
LIST OF FIGURES IV
1 INTRODUCTION 1-6
1.1 AN OVERVIEW OF OPTICAL COMPUTING 2-6
1.1.1 SECURITY
1.1.2 INERFACE
1.1.3 THE DESKTOP AS DESKTOP
1.1.4 YOUR DIGITAL BUTLER
1.1.5 YOR HOME
1.2 NEED OF OPTICAL COMPUTERS
2 SYSTEM OVERVIEW 11
2.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM
2.2 OPTICAL COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY 12-14
3 SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION 15-17
3.1 COMPONENTS OF OPTICAL COMPUTER

3.1.1 HARD DISK
3.1.2 THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
3.1.3 MEMMORY
3.1.4 FAST MEMMORY
3.1.5 MAIN MEMMORY
3.1.6 POWER SUPPLY
3.1.7 THE SCREEN
4 OPTICAL COMPONENTS 18-23
FOR COMPUTING
4.1 VCSEL
4.2 SLM FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES
4.3 WDM
4.4 OPTICAL MEMMORY
5 FIBER OPTICS 24
6 MRITS 25
7 DRAWBACKS 26
8 APPLICATIONS 27
9 SOME CURRENT RESEARCH 28
10 FUTURE TRENDS 29
11 REFERENCES 30

LIST OF FIGURES
FIG NO TITLE PAGE NO
1.1 COMPUTER OF 2010 3
2.1 OPTICAL COMPUTER BLOCK DIAGRAM 11
2.2 OPTICAL COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 12
4.1 A SCHEMATIC OF THE VCSEL AND 18
ITS POSSIBLE MINIATURIZATION
INTO WATER
4.2(a) A REFLECTIVE 256X256 PIXEL DEVISE 20
BASED ON SRAM TECHNOLOGY
WITH EMBEDDED CMOS
4.2(b) SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF AN 21
ACOUSTO OPTIC MODULATOR
DEFLECTION PRINIPLE

Seminar Report’18 Optical Computers
1. INTRODUCTION
An optical computer is a device that uses the photons of visible light or infrared
beams, rather than electric current to perform digital computations. An electric current creates
heat in computer systems. As the processing speed increases, so does the amount of
electricity required; this extra heat is extremely damaging to the hardware. Light however
creates insignificant amounts of heat regardless of how much is used. Does the development
of more powerful processing systems become possible.
An optical desktop computer could be capable of processing data up to 100,000 times

faster than current models, because multiple operations can be performed simultaneously.
Prof.U.Kh.Kopvillem research was the foundation of several areas of non-linear optics,

quantum acoustic and radio acoustic. The breadth of the subject matter of this issue ranging
from studies in the role of photon modes in high temperature super conductivity to the
propagation of ullxa short pulses only partially reflect the wide specmam of the scientific
interests of Prof.U.Kh.Kopvillem.
Optical computing where the processing of electrical energy is replaced by light

quanta is very attractive for future technologies. The replacement of wires by optical path
ways is of special interest because light can cross without interference and thus, the complex
wiring of modern computers may be appreciably simplified. Moreover, optical computers can
operate at very high rates because there are not the problems of electrical computers such as
inductivities of wires and loading of parasitic capacitors.
Dept. Of ECE 1 Universal Enginering College

1.1 AN OVERVIEW OF OPTICAL COMPUTING
Computers have become an indispensable part of life. We need computers

everywhere, be it for work, research or in any such field. As the use of computers in our day
to day life increases, the computing resources that we need also go up. For companies like
Google and Microsoft, harnessing the resources as and when they need it is not a problem.
But when it comes to smaller enterprises affordability becomes a huge factor. With the huge
infrastructure come problems like machines failure, hard drive crashes, software bugs, etc.
This might be a big headache for such a community. Optical computing offers a solution to
this situation.
An optical computer is a hypothetical devise that uses visible light or infrared beams,
rather than electric current, to perform digital computations. An electric current flows at only
about 10 percent of speed of light. By applying some of the advantages of visible and/or IR
networks at the device and component scale, a computer can be developed that can perform
operations very much time faster than a conventional electronic computer.
Optical computing describes a new technological approach for constructing

computer’s processors and other components. Instead of current approach electrically
transmitting data along tiny wires etched onto silicon. Optical computing employs a
technology called silicon photonics that uses laser light instead.
This use of optical lasers overcomes the constraints associated with heat dissipation
in today’s components and allows much more information to be stored and transmitted in the
same amount of space. Optical computing means performing computations, operations,
storage and transmission of data using light. Optical technology promises massive upgrades
in the efficiency and speed of computers, as well as significant shrinkage in their size and
cost. An optical computer desktop is capable of processing data up to 1,00,000 times faster
than current models.
An optical computer (also called a photonic computer) is a device that uses the
photons of visible light or infrared (IR) beams, rather than electric current, to perform digital
computations. An electric current creates heat in computer systems. As the processing speed
increases, so does the amount of electricity required; this extra heat is extremely damaging to
the hardware.
For decades, silicon, with its talent for carrying electrons, has been the mainstay of
computing. But for a variety of reasons (see "The Coming Light Years"), we're rapidly
approaching the day when electrons will no longer cut it. Within 10 years, in fact, silicon will
fall to the computer scientist's triple curse: "It's bulky, it's slow, and it runs too hot." At this
point, computers will need a new architecture, one that depends less on electrons and more
on... well...what else?
Computer of 2010(fig.1.1)
With the assistance of award-winning firm frog design (the geniuses behind the look of the
early Apple and many of today's supercomputers and workstations), Forbes ASAP has
designed and built (virtually, of course) the computer of 2010. (fig.1.1)
Whenever possible, our newly designed computer replaces stodgy old electrons with
shiny, cool-running particles of light--photons. Electrons remain, doing everything they do
best (switching), while photons do what they do best (traveling very, very fast). In other
words, we've brought the speed and bandwidth of optical communications inside the
computer itself. This mix is called optoelectronics, another buzzword we encourage you to
start using immediately.
The result is a computer that is far more reliable, cheaper, and more compact—the
entire thing, believe it or not, is about the size of a Frisbee--than the all electronic solution.
But above all, optoelectronic computing is faster than what's available today. How fast ? In a
decade, we believe, you will be able to buy at your local computer shop the equivalent of
today's supercomputers.

How likely is it that this computer will be built? Some of its components are
slightly pie-in-the-sky. But many others have already been developed or are being developed
by some of the best scientific minds in the country. Sooner or later, and probably sooner, an
optoelectronic computer will exist.
Okay, so we've built a revolutionary new optical computer just in time for 2010.
What do we do with it now? Everything .Because it's small (about the size of a Frisbee) and
because it has the power of today's supercomputer, the 2010 PC will become the repository of
information covering every aspect of our daily life. Our computer, untethered and unfettered
by wires and electrical outlets, becomes something of a key that unlocks the safety deposit
box of our lives.
When we plug our 2010 PC into the wall of our home, our house will become smart,
anticipating our every desire. At work, we'll plug it into our desk, which will become a
gigantic interactive screen. When it communicates wirelessly with a small mobile device,
we'll have a personal digital assistant—on steroids.
Standard, electrical-based, computers rapidly approach fundamental limitation.

Alternative principles should be explored in order to keep computing developments at the
current pace or even faster. Optical computing has major potential in providing a solution
through its use of photons to perform computations instead of electrons. This workshop will
be an opportunity to bring people together from optics and computer science who are
interested in establishing important principles and in developing optical computers. This will
also be an opportunity to meet with pioneering figures and to discuss the future of optical
supercomputing.
Computers have enhanced human life to a great extent. The speed of conventional
computers is achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a very small micron-size
scale so that those electrons need to travel only very short distances within a very short time.
The goal of improving on computer speed has resulted in the development of the Very Large
Scale Integration (VLSI) technology with smaller device dimensions and greater complexity.
Last year, the smallest-to date dimensions of VLSI reached 0.08 e m by researchers at Lucent

Technology. Whereas VLSI technology has revolutionized the electronics industry and
established the 20th century as the computer age, increasing usage of the Internet demand
better accommodation of a 10 to 15 percent per month growth rate. Additionally, our daily
lives demand solutions to increasingly sophisticated and complex problems, which requires
more speed and better performance of computers.
For these reasons, it is unfortunate that VLSI technology is approaching its

fundamental limits in the sub-micron miniaturization process. It is now possible to fit up to
300 million transistors on a single silicon chip. It is also estimated that the number of
transistor switches that can be put onto a chip doubles every 18 months. Further
miniaturization of lithography introduces several problems such as dielectric breakdown, hot
carriers, and short channel effects. All of these 2 factors combine to seriously degrade device
reliability. Even if developing technology succeeded in temporarily overcoming these
physical problems, we will continue to face them as long as increasing demands for higher
integration continues. Therefore, a dramatic solution to the problem is needed, and unless we
gear our thoughts toward a totally different pathway, we will not be able to further improve
our computer performance for the future.
Optical interconnections and optical integrated circuits will provide a way out of these
limitations to computational speed and complexity inherent in conventional electronics.
Optical computers will use photons traveling on optical fibers or thin films instead of
electrons to perform the appropriate functions. In the optical computer of the future,
electronic circuits and wires will be replaced by a few optical fibers and films, making the
systems more efficient with no interference, more cost effective, lighter and more compact.
Optical components would not need to have insulators as those needed between electronic
components because they don’t experience cross talk. Indeed, multiple frequencies (or
different colors) of light can travel through optical components without interfacing with each
other, allowing photonic devices to process multiple streams of data simultaneously.
1.1.1 SECURITY
The PC will be protected from theft, thanks to an advanced biometric scanner that can
recognize your fingerprint.

1.1.2 INTERFACE
You'll communicate with the PC primarily with your voice, putting it truly at your
beck and call.
1.1.3 THE DESKTOP AS DESKTOP

In 2010, a "desktop" will be a desk top...in other words, by plugging our computer
into an office desk, its top becomes a gigantic computer screen—an interactive photonic
display. You won't need a keyboard because files can be opened and closed simply by
touching and dragging with your finger. And for those throwbacks who must have a
keyboard, we've supplied that as well. A virtual keyboard can be momentarily created on the
tabletop, only to disappear when no longer needed. Now you see it, now you don't.
1.1.4 YOUR DIGITAL BUTLER

What do we do with our 2010 computer when we arrive home after a long day's
work? The computer becomes the operating system for our house, and our house, in turn,
knows our habits and responds to our needs. ("Brew coffee at 7, play Beethoven the moment
the front door opens, and tell me when I'm low on milk.")
1.1.5Your Home
The PC of 2010 plugs into your home so your house becomes a smart operating system.
1.2 NEED OF OPTICAL COMPUTERS

Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has
been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more
intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern
recognition, etc). Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of
devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured,
including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory.
The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional
architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in
optical mode.

With today’s growing dependence on computing technology, the need for high
performance computers (HPC) has significantly increased. Many performance improvements
in conventional computers are achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to very small
micron-size scale so that electrons need to travel only short distances within a very short
time. This approach relies on the steadily shrinking trace size on microchips (i.e., the size of
elements that can be ‘drawn’ onto each chip). This has resulted in the development of Very
Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology with smaller device dimensions and
greater complexity. The smallest dimensions of VLSI nowadays are about 0.08 mm. Despite
the incredible progress in the development and refinement of the basic technologies over the
past decade, there is growing concern that these technologies may not be capable of solving
the computing problems of even the current millennium.
Technologies lead to breakthroughs in engineering and manufacturing in a wide

range of industries. With the help of virtual product design and development, costs can be
reduced; hence looking for improved computing capabilities is desirable. Optical computing
includes the optical calculation of transforms and optical pattern matching. Emerging
technologies also make the optical storage of data a reality.
The speed of computers was achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a

very small micron-size scale, but they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter
(Einstein’s principle that signals cannot propagate faster than the speed of light) but also by
the increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on
microchips. The optical computer comes as a solution of miniaturization problem. In an
optical computer, electrons are replaced by photons, the subatomic bits of electromagnetic
radiation that make up light.
Optics, which is the science of light, is already used in computing, most often in
the fiber-optic glass cables that currently transmit data on communication networks much
faster than via traditional copper wires. Thus, optical signals might be the ticket for the fastest
supercomputers ever. Compared to light, electronic signals in chips travel at snail speed.
Moreover, there is no such thing as a short circuit with light, so beams could cross with no
problem after being redirected by pinpoint-size mirrors in a switchboard. In a pursuit to probe
into cutting-edge research areas, optical technology (optoelectronic, photonic devices) is one
of the most promising, and may eventually lead to new computing applications as a
consequence of faster processor speeds, as well as better connectivity and higher bandwidth.
The pressing need for optical technology stems from the fact that today’s
computers are limited by the time response of electronic circuits. A solid transmission
medium limits both the speed and volume of signals, as well as building up heat that damages
components. For example, a one-foot length of wire produces approximately one nanosecond
(billionth of a second) of time delay. Extreme miniaturization of tiny electronic com- Optical
computing includes the optical calculation of transforms and optical pattern matching.
Emerging technologies also make the optical storage of data.
These and other obstacles have led scientists to seek answers in light itself. Light
does not have the time response limitations of electronics, does not need insulators, and can
even send dozens or hundreds of photon signal streams simultaneously using different color
frequencies. Those are immune to electromagnetic interference, and free from electrical short
circuits. They have low-loss transmission and provide large bandwidth; i.e. multiplexing
capability, capable of communicating several channels in parallel without interference. They
are capable of propagating signals within the same or adjacent fibers with essentially no
interference or cross talk. They are compact, lightweight, and inexpensive to manufacture, as
well as more facile with stored information than magnetic materials. By replacing electrons
and wires with photons, fiber optics, crystals, thin films and mirrors, researchers are hoping
to build a new generation of computers that work 100 million times faster than today’s
machines.
The fundamental issues associated with optical computing, its advantages over
conventional (electronics-based) computing, current applications of optics in computers are
discussed in this part. In the second part of this article the problems that remain to be
overcome and current research will be discussed.
Optical computing was a hot research area in the 1980s. But the work tapered off
because of materials limitations that seemed to prevent opto chips from getting small enough
and cheap enough to be more than laboratory curiosities.
Now, optical computers are back with advances in self-assembled conducting organic
polymers that promise super-tiny all-optical chips.
[1]. Advances in optical storage device have generated the promise of efficient, compact and
large-scale storage devices.
[2]. Another advantage of optical methods over electronic ones for computing is that parallel
data processing can frequently be done much more easily and less expensively in optics than
in electronics.
[3]. Light does not have the time response limitations of electronics, does not need insulators,
and can even send dozens or hundreds of photon signal streams simultaneously using
different color frequencies. Parallelism, the capability to execute more than one operation
simultaneously, is now common in electronic computer architectures. But, most electronic
computers still execute instructions sequentially; parallelism with electronics remains
sparsely used. Its first widespread appearance was in Cray supercomputers in the early 1980’s
when two processors were used in conjunction with one shared memory. Today, large
supercomputers may utilize thousands of processors but communication overhead frequently
results in reduced overall efficiency.
[4] On the other hand for some applications in input-output
(I/O), such as image processing, by using a simple optical design an array of pixels can be
transferred simultaneously in parallel from one point to another. Optical technology promises
massive upgrades in the efficiency and speed of computers as well as significant shrinkage in
their size and cost.
An optical desktop computer could be capable of processing data up to 100,000

times faster than current models because multiple operations can be performed
simultaneously. Other advantages of optics include low manufacturing costs, immunity to
electromagnetic interference, a tolerance for low loss transmissions, freedom from short
electrical circuits and the capability to supply large bandwidth and propagate signals within
the same or adjacent fibers without interference. An optical desktop computer could be
capable of processing data up to 100,000 times faster than current models because multiple
operations can be performed simultaneously. Each gate operates with a switching time of
only 1 nano second (organic optical switches can switch at sub-picosecond rates compared to
maximum picosecond switching times for electronic switching). Such a system could perform
more than 1017 bit operations per second. Compare this to the gigabits (109) or terabits
(1012) per second rates which electronics are either currently limited to, or hoping to achieve.
In other words, a computation that might require one hundred thousand hours (more than 11
years) of a conventional computer time could require less than one hour by an optical one.
But building an optical computer will not be easy. A major challenge is finding materials that
can be mass produced yet consume little power; for this reason, optical computers may not hit
the consumer market for 10 to 15 years.
[5] So photon quantum computing could become a future possibility. The pressing need for
optical technology stems from the fact that today’s computers are limited by the time
response of electronic circuits. A solid transmission medium limits both the speed and
volume of signals, as well as building up heat that damages components. One of the
theoretical limits on how fast a computer can function is given by Einstein’s principle that
signal cannot propagate faster than speed of light. So to make computers faster, their
components must be smaller and there by decrease the distance between them. This has
resulted in the development of very large scale integration (VLSI) technology, with smaller
device dimensions and greater complexity. The smallest dimensions of VLSI nowadays are
about 0.08mm. Despite the incredible progress in the development and refinement of the
basic technologies over the past decade, there is growing concern that these technologies may
not be capable of solving the computing problems of even the current millennium.
The speed of computers was achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a

very small micron-size scale, but they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter
but also by the increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on
microchips. The optical computer comes as a solution of miniaturization problem. Optical
data processing can perform several operations in parallel much faster and easier than
electrons. This parallelism helps in staggering computational power. For example a
calculation that takes a conventional electronic computer more than 11 years to complete
could be performed by an optical computer in a single hour. Any way we can realize that in
an optical computer, electrons are replaced by photons, the subatomic bits of electromagnetic
radiation that make up light.

2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
2.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM
Fig.2.1 optical computer block diagram
Information gets sent in from keyboard, mouse, or other external sources and
goes to the processor. Processor then sends the information through logic gates and switches
to be programmed. The information is then sent through different fiber optic cables
depending on its final location. Some information will be sent to the holographic memory,
where it will then be saved. After information is saved and the program would like to use it,
the program sends a command to the processor, which then sends a command to receive the
information.
The program receives the information and sends a signal back to the processor to tell it that
the task is complete.

2.2 Optical Computing Technology
Fig. 2.2 optical computer technology

An optical computer (also called a photonic computer) is a device that uses the photons of
visible light or infrared (IR) beams, rather than electric current, to perform digital
computations. An electric current creates heat in computer systems. As the processing speed
increases, so does the amount of electricity required; this extra heat is extremely damaging to
the hardware. Light, however, creates insignificant amounts of heat, regardless of how much
is used. Thus, the development of more powerful processing systems becomes possible. By
applying some of the advantages of visible and/or IR networks at the device and component
scale, a computer might someday be developed that can perform operations 10 or more times
faster than a conventional electronic computer.
Visible-light and IR beams, unlike electric currents, pass through each other without
interacting. Several (or many) laser beams can be shone so their paths intersect, but there is
no interference among the beams, even when they are confined essentially to two dimensions.
Electric currents must be guided around each other, and this makes three-dimensional wiring
necessary. Thus, an optical computer, besides being much faster than an electronic one, might
also be smaller.
Most research projects focus on replacing current computer components with

optical equivalents, resulting in an photonic digital computer system processing binary data.
This approach appears to offer the best short-term prospects for commercial optical
computing, since optical components could be integrated into traditional computers to
produce an optical/electronic hybrid. Other research projects take a non-traditional approach,
attempting to develop entirely new methods of computing that are not physically possible
with electronics.
Optical computing where the processing of electrical energy is replaced by light

quanta is very attractive for future technologies. The replacement of wires by optical
pathways is of special interest because light can cross without interference and thus, the
complex wiring of modern computers may be appreciably simplified. Moreover, optical
computers can operate at very high rates because there are not the problems of electrical
computers such as inductivities of wires and loading of parasitic capacitors. Chemical
structures are required for the handling of light and this has to be done by suitable
chromophores. Organic materials are preferred because of their chemical variability and Un
critical recycling for mass production. There are mainly three obstacles for the development
of optical computers: firstly the preservation of the optical energy, secondly the low light-
fastness of many active optical components and thirdly the comparably long
Wave lengths of light of about 0.5 m. The former two problems can be solved by
the application of highly light-fast fluorescence dyes where the fluorescence quantum yield is
a measure of the preservation of light energy, light fast fluorescent dyes with 100%
fluorescence quantum yield are known .
The third problem sets a lower limit to the size of conventional optical components
and hinders the construction of an optical computer on a molecular scale. However, the
development of molecular optics would reduce the size of such components by a factor of
500.
The limitation of resolution by the wavelengths of light may be overcome by the

transport of the energy of light instead of the emission and absorption of light quanta. This
corresponds to the use of the alternating current (50 Hz) with a problematic wavelength of
some 6000 km where the electrical energy is handled on a human scale or even lower.
In analogy to such a transport of electrical energy an energy transfer between chromophores
can replace the absorption and emission of light quanta in optical signal processing
components. The transfer will proceed rapidly if the distance between the two chromophores
lies within the F‥orster radius that means between 2 and 3 nm for most combinations of
similarly absorbing chromophores. On the other hand, this F‥orster radius would be the
natural lower limit for the size of complex arrangements of switching components for
handling energy transfer because going below this limit would spread energy over many
chromophores without control; a solution of this limiting problem would be the prerequisite
for the development of optical computers with very high densities of integration.

3. SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION
3.1 COMPONENTS OF OPTICAL COMPUTER

· Hard Disk
· CPU
· Memory
· Cache Memory
· Main Memory
· Screen
· Power Supply
3.1.1 HARD DISK (STORES PROGRAMS AND FILES)

To build our 2010 computer (see previous page) we first need to build the hard disk.
The disk will be holographic and will somewhat resemble a CD-ROM or DVD. That is, it
will be a spinning, transparent plastic platter with a writing laser on one side and reading
laser on the other, and it will hold an astounding terabyte (1 trillion bytes) of data, just a tad
more than we get today--1,000 times more, to be exact. With such capacity, you'll be able to
store every ounce of information about your life. But beware. If your computer is stolen or
destroyed, you might actually start wondering who you are.
3.1.2 THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

Our 2010 CPU will operate on the same principle as today's PCs. But instead of
electronic microprocessors providing the brains and brawn, our future CPU will have
optoelectronic integrated circuits (chips that use silicon to switch but optics to communicate).
This will give us huge increases in speed and efficiency. Why? Because the CPU of today
spends far too much time waiting around for data to process. Instantaneous on-chip optical
communication, and memory running as fast as the processor, will guarantee a continuous
stream of data processing within the CPU. With communication between components no
longer bottlenecked by electronic transmission, we can probably push the clock rate to 100
gigahertz. Our universal appliance of tomorrow also has a hexagonal optoelectronic processor

surrounded by a ring of fast cache, so that data for any part of the chip can be fetched from
the closest part of the cache. The result will be computer performance--or, at any rate,
delivery of computational results-- comparable to today's supercomputers.
3.1.3 MEMORY (RAM)

When we stir optical communication into the old-fashioned electronic computer,
some of the greatest potential gains will involve your computer's short-term memory. In the
long-gone days (1980) of the 80286, computers enjoyed a design advantage that we've never
had since. The memory bus speed--that is, the speed at which data flowed between CPU and
memory--was the same as the CPU's clock rate, or how fast it operates. (Of course, they were
both 8 mega hert, but we said this was a long time ago.) Data reached the CPU as fast as the
chip could process it, which kept the CPU from waiting around being bored.
We've never reached that pinnacle again, and since then, the situation has gotten steadily
worse. A reasonably fast computer today has a CPU clock of 600 megahertz and a memory
bus speed of 133 megahertz. Despite various clever technical feats, the CPU still spends half
to two-thirds of its time just waiting around for data from memory. Optoelectronics will
knock this problem out of the park. With a properly designed optical memory bus, speed of
fetch from memory can once again equal CPU clock rate. Of course, this also will require that
processing in RAM be very quick, so we'll need a faster RAM architecture, which luckily
is—or will be--available. A large cache (see below) made of superfast, nonvolatile magnetic
RAM will hold information that the CPU needs quickly and repeatedly. It will be backed up
by a much larger area of holographic (pure optical) main RAM that will hold programs, files,
images, etc., while you work with them.
3.1.4 FAST MEMORY (CACHE)

To build our new fast cache, we'll need to get rid of the inefficiencies of today's
product, which requires the computer to constantly refresh it, just like short-term memory in
humans needs to be constantly refreshed or it's forgotten. The inefficiencies in cache are so
bad, in fact, that once you know the speed of your cache you can assume that its real-world
performance will be about a third of that--the missing two-thirds being sacrificed to refresh
cycles. Enter 2010's semiconductor technology, which, instead of using today's silicon
memory, will rely upon magnetic memory on a molecular scale. Because tiny elements will
be magnetized to represent zeros, or demagnetized to represent ones, the information can be
easily and quickly refreshed with just a quick electrical signal. The whole process will be
much faster than today's silicon memory--which is a good thing, because satisfying the
demands of a CPU running at 100 gigahertz will definitely mean no coffee breaks. Let's
install a gigabyte of fast cache--1,000 times as much as the megabyte that serves an Intel
Pentium III today. And, to put the whole system in overdrive, we'll hitch it directly to the
CPU with a multiplexed optical bridge. Get ready for warp speed!
3.1.5 MAIN MEMORY

Our main RAM will be purely optical, in fact holographic. Holographic memory is
three-dimensional by nature, so we can stack up any number of memory planes into a
rectangular solid to create 256 gigabytes of optical main memory, 1,000 times as much as a
really powerful desktop computer today.
3.1.6 POWER SUPPLY

One of the biggest advantages of photonic circuitry is an extremely low power requirement.
A long, sticklike lithium battery, bent into a doughnut and installed in the periphery of the
computer, will run it for a couple of weeks. But fresh power is as close as the charging cradle
on the nearest wall, which resembles the one for today's cordless or cellular phones.
3.1.7THE SCREEN
Size does matter in our 2010 computer screen. It will either be very large, literally the
desk top of your desktop, or very small, a monocle you hold up to your eye. For the bigger
version, our computer screen will depend on some kind of photonically excited liquid crystal,
with power requirements significantly lower than today's monitors. Colors will be vivid and
images precise (think plasma displays). In fact, today's concept of "resolution" will be largely
obsolete. Get ready for pay-per-view Webcasts.

4. OPTICAL COMPONENTS FOR COMPUTING
The major breakthroughs on optical computing have been centered on the

development of micro-optic devices for data input. Conventional lasers are known as ‘edge
emitters’ because their laser light comes out from the edges. Also, their laser cavities run
horizontally along their length. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL –
pronounced ‘vixel’), however, gives out laser light from its surface and has a laser cavity that
is vertical; hence the name. VCSEL is a semiconductor vertical cavity surface emitting micro
laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical beam vertically from the surface of a fabricated
wafer, and offers significant advantages when compared to the edge-emitting lasers currently
used in the majority of fiber optic communications devices. They emit at 850 nm and have
rather low thresholds (typically a few mA). They are very fast and can give mW of coupled
power into a 50 micron core fiber and are extremely radiation hard.
VCSELS can be tested at the wafer level (as opposed to edge emitting lasers which have to
be cut and cleaved before they can be tested) and hence are relatively cheap. In fact, V
schematic of VCSEL is shown in fig.4.1.
Fig. 4.1 a schematic of the VCSEL and is possible miniaturization into water
The principles involved in the operation of a VCSEL are very similar to those of
regular lasers. As shown in fig 4.1, there are two special Semiconductor materials
sandwiching an active layer where all the action takes place. But rather than reflective ends,
in a VCSEL there are several layers of partially reflective mirrors above and below the active
layer. Layers of semiconductor with differing compositions create these mirrors, and each
mirror reflects a narrow range of wavelengths back into the cavity in order to cause light
emission at just one wavelength.
Spatial light modulators (SLMs) play an important role in several technical areas
where the control of light on a pixel-by pixel basis is a key element, such as optical
processing, for inputting information on light beams, and displays. For display purposes the
desire is to have as many pixels as possible in as small and cheap a device as possible. For
such purposes designing silicon chips for use as spatial light modulators has been effective.
The basic idea is to have a set of memory cells laid out on a regular grid. These cells are
electrically connected to metal mirrors, such that the voltage on the mirror depends on the
value stored in the memory cell.
A layer of optically active liquid crystal is sandwiched between this array of

mirrors and a piece of glass with a conductive coating. The voltage between individual
mirrors and the front electrode affects the optical activity of the liquid crystal in that
neighborhood. Hence by being able to individually program the memory locations one can set
up a pattern of optical activity in the liquid crystal layer. Fig 4.2(a) shows a reflective
256x256 pixel device based on SRAM technology. Several technologies have contributed to
the development of SLMs. These include micro-electro-mechanical devices, such as, acousto-
optic modulators (AOMs), and pixelated electro optical devices, such as liquid-crystal
modulators (LCMs). fig 4.2(b) shows a simple AOM operation in deflecting light beam
direction. Encompassed within these categories are amplitude only, phase-only, or amplitude-
phase modulators. Broadly speaking, an optical computer is a computer in which light is used
somewhere. This can means fiber optical connections between electronic components, free
space connections, or one in which light functions as a mechanism for storage of data, logic
or arithmetic. Instead of electrons in silicon integrated circuits, the digital optical computers
will be based on photons. Smart pixels, the union of optics and electronics, both expands the
capabilities of electronic systems and enables optical systems with high levels of electronic
signal processing. Thus, smart pixel systems add value to electronics through optical
input/output and interconnection, and value is added to optical systems through electronic
enhancements which include gain, feedback control, and image processing and compression.
Fig 4.2(a)
A reflective 256*256 pixel device based on SRAM technology with embedded CMOS

Fig 4.2(b) schematic diagram of an Acousto-optic modulator deflection principle
Smart pixel technology is a relatively new approach to integrating electronic circuitry

and optoelectronic devices in a common framework. The purpose is to leverage the
advantages of each individual technology and provide improved performance for specific
applications. Here, the electronic circuitry provides complex functionality and
programmability while the optoelectronic devices provide high-speed switching and
compatibility with existing optical media. Arrays of these smart pixels leverage the
parallelism of optics for interconnections as well as computation. A smart pixel device, a
light emitting diode (LED) under the control of a field-effect transistor (FET), can now be
made entirely out of organic materials on the same substrate for the first time. In general, the
benefit of organic over conventional semiconductor electronics is that they should (when

mass-production techniques take over) lead to cheaper, lighter, circuitry that can be printed
rather than etched. Scientists at Bell Labs have made 300-micron-wide pixels using polymer
FETs and LEDs made from a sandwich of organic materials, one of which allows electrons to
flow, another which acts as highway for holes (the absence of electrons); light is produced
when electrons and holes meet. The pixels are quite potent, with a brightness of about 2300
candela/m2, compared to a figure of 100 for present flat-panel displays. A Cambridge
University group has also made an all-organic device, not as bright as he Bell Labs version,
but easier to make on a large scale .
4.1 VCSEL (VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER)

VCSEL (pronounced ‘vixel’) is a semiconductor vertical cavity surface emitting
laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical beam vertically from the surface of a fabricated
wafer, and offers significant advantages when compared to the edge-emitting lasers currently
used in the majority of fiber optic communications devices. The principle involved in the
operation of a VCSEL is very similar to those of regular lasers.
There are two special semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer where
all the action takes place. But rather than reflective ends, in a
VCSEL there are several layers of partially reflective mirrors above and below the active
layer. Layers of semiconductors with differing compositions create these mirrors, and each
mirror reflects a narrow range of wavelengths back in to the cavity in order to cause light
emission at just one wavelength.
4
4.2 SLM FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES
For display purposes the desire is to have as many pixels as possible in as small and
cheap a device as possible. For such purposes designing silicon chips for use as spatial light
modulators has been effective. The basic idea is to have a set of memory cells laid out on a
regular grid. These cells are electrically connected to metal mirrors, such that the voltage on
the mirror depends on the value stored in the memory cell. A layer of optically active liquid
crystal is sandwiched between this array of mirrors and a piece of glass with a conductive
coating. The voltage between individual mirrors and the front electrode affects the optical
activity of liquid crystal in that neighborhood. Hence by being able to individually program
the memory locations one can set up a pattern of optical activity in the liquid crystal layer.
4.3 WDM (WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING)
Wavelength division multiplexing is a method of sending many different

wavelengths down the same optical fiber. Using this technology, modern networks in which
individual lasers can transmit at 10 gigabits per second through the same fiber at the same
time. WDM can transmit up to 32 wavelengths through a single fiber, but cannot meet the
bandwidth requirements of the present day communication systems. So nowadays DWDM
(Dense wavelength division multiplexing) is used. This can transmit up to 1000 wavelengths
through a single fiber. That is by using this we can improve the bandwidth efficiency.
4.4 OPTICAL MEMORY

In optical computing two types of memory are discussed. One consists of arrays of
one-bit-store elements and other is mass storage, which is implemented by optical disks or by
holographic storage systems. This type of memory promises very high capacity and storage
density. The primary benefits offered by holographic optical data storage over current storage
technologies include significantly higher storage capacities and faster read-out rates. This
research is expected to lead to compact, high capacity, rapid-and random-access, and low
power and low cost data storage devices necessary for future intelligent spacecraft. The
SLMs are used in optical data storage applications. These devices are used to write data into
the optical storage medium at high speed. More conventional approaches to holographic
storage use ion doped lithium niobate crystals to store pages of data.
For audio recordings, a 150MBminidisk with a 2.5- in diameter has been

developed that uses special compression to shrink a standard CD’s640-MB storage capacity
onto the smaller polymer substrate. It is rewritable and uses magnetic field modulation on
optical material. The mini disc uses one of the two methods to write information on to an
optical disk. With the mini disk a magnetic field placed behind the optical disk is modulated
while the intensity of the writing laser is held constant. By switching the polarity of the
magnetic field while the laser creates a state of flux in the optical material digital data can be
recorded on a single layer. As with all optical storage media a read laser retrieves the data.

5. Fiber Optics
A basic fiber optic system consists of a transmitting device, which generates the
light signal; an optical fiber cable, which carries the light; and a receiver, which accepts the
light signal transmitted. The fiber itself is passive and does not contain any active, generative
properties.
Optical fiber for telecommunications is made up of three parts including the core,
cladding & coating. The core is the central part of the fiber which transmits the light. The
cladding surrounds the core and keeps the light in the core because it is made of material with
a lower index of refraction. The core and cladding are inseparable because they are made up
of a single piece of glass silica, treated to create the differences needed in refraction. Finally,
a coating generally made of UV protective acrylate is put on a fiber during the draw process
to protect it.
Fiber optic systems can carry both analog and digital signals over light waves. A
system consists of a signal generator, (e.g. computer, video, audio) an encoder, a fiber optic
cable, and a decoder, and a receiving device (e.g. tv, computer network, etc). Fiber optics
have many advantages over copper cable. They have become a desired standard for
networking backbones and hubs because of the advantages they have over copper to achieve
the speed and bandwidth capacity. A single fiber optic cable can transmit the same amount of
data as approximately 600 pair traditional copper telecommunications wire, an transmit data
further with less boosting of the signal, it is not effected by electrical anomalies such as
lightning, it is small, lightweight and easy to install.
With the highly purified and streamlined manufacturing process, the current speeds
of data transfer are around 5millionbps. The biggest challenge remaining is the economic
challenge. Today telephone and cable television companies generally bring in fiber links
(backbones) to remote sites serving many customers, but then use twisted wire pair or coaxial
cables from optical network units to individual homes. This technology is often referred to
"broadband" and is becoming increasingly popular, but considerably limited to the potential
of complete fiber optic networks directly linked to individual homes. Only time will tell how
long it will take before the technology becomes reasonably economical and enough demand
is given to take that next step.

6. MERITS
1. Optical computing is at least 1000 to 100000 times faster than today’s silicon machines.
2. Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data, with space
requirements for lesser than today’s silicon chips.
3. Superfast searches through databases.
4. No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s
data.
5. Light beams can travel in parallel and no limit to number of packets that can travel in the
photonic circuits.
6. Optical computer removes the bottleneck in the present day communication system.

7. DRAWBACKS
1. Today’s materials require much high power to work in consumer products, coming up with
the right materials may take five years or more.
2. Optical computing using a coherent source is simple to compute and understand, but it has
many drawbacks like any imperfections or dust on the optical components will create
unwanted interference pattern due to scattering effects. Incoherent processing on the other
hand cannot store phase information.

8. APPLICATIONS
1. High speed communications: The rapid growth of internet expanding at almost15% per
month, demands faster speeds and larger bandwidth than electronic circuits can provide.
Terabits speeds are needed to accommodate the growth rate of internet since in optical
computers data is transmitted at the speed of light which is of the order of 3 10*8 m/sec
hence terabit speeds are attainable.
2. Optical crossbar interconnects are used in asynchronous transfer modes and shared
memory multiprocessor systems.
3. Process satellite data.

9. SOME CURRENT RESEARCH
High performance computing has gained momentum in recent years, with efforts to
optimize all the resources of electronic computing and researcher brain power in order to
increase computing throughput. Optical computing is a topic of current support in many
places, with private companies as well as governments in several countries encouraging such
research work. A group of researchers from the university of southern California, jointly with
a team from the university of California, los angles, have developed an organic polymer with
a switching frequency of 60 Ghz . This is three times faster than the current industry standard
lithium niobate crystal baswed device.
Another group at brown university and the IBM, Almaden research center has used
ultrafast laser pulses to build ultrafast data storage devices. This group was able to achive
ultrafast switching down to 100 picosecond.
In Japan, NEC has developed a method for interconnecting circuit boards optically
using VCSEL arrays .Another researchers at NTT have designed an optical backplane with
free-space optical interconnects using tunable beam deflectors and mirrors. The project
achieved 1000 interconnections per printed circuit board; with a throughput ranging from 1 to
10 Tb/s.

10. FUTURE TRENDS
The Ministry of Information Technology has initiated a photonic development

program. Under this program some funded projects are continuing in fiber optic high-speed
network systems. Research is going on for developing new laser diodes, photo detectors, and
nonlinear material studies for faster switches. Research efforts on nanoparticle thin film or
layer studies for display devices are also in progress. At the Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT), Mumbai, efforts are in progress to generate a white light source from a diode case
based fiber amplifier system in order to provide WDM communication channels.

11. REFERENCES
1. Debabrata Goswami, “article on optical computing, optical components and storage

systems,” Resonance- Journal of science education pp:56-71 July 2003
2. Hossin Abdeldayem,Donald. O.Frazier, Mark.S.Paley and William.K,
“Recent advances in photonic devices for optical computing,” science.nasa.gov Nov 2001
3. Mc Aulay,Alastair.D , “Optical computer architectures and the application of optical
concepts to next generation computers”
4. John M Senior, “Optical fiber communications –principles and practice”
5. Mitsuo Fukuda “Optical semiconductor devices”
6. www.sciam.com
7. www.msfc.com

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SEMINAR REPORT

JAYMIN JOY UNT15EC007

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

KERALA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE

VALLIVATTOM P.O, THRIISUR DISTRICT,KERALA-680 123

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND

Academic year 2018-2019

Project Guide Head of the Department

Ms. Safna Beevi Ps Ms.Fathima Sasvina Beegam A

Assistant Professor Associate Professor

(Dept. of Electronics and (Dept. of Electronics and

Communication Engineering) Communication Engineering)

Head of the Institution

I deeply and whole heartedly thank Ms.Fathima Sasvina Beegam, Associate

Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO

TABLE OF CONTENTS III

1.1 AN OVERVIEW OF OPTICAL COMPUTING 2-6

1.1.3 THE DESKTOP AS DESKTOP

1.1.4 YOUR DIGITAL BUTLER

1.1.5 YOR HOME

1.2 NEED OF OPTICAL COMPUTERS

2.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM

2.2 OPTICAL COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY 12-14

3 SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION 15-17

3.1 COMPONENTS OF OPTICAL COMPUTER

Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

3.1.1 HARD DISK

3.1.2 THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT

3.1.4 FAST MEMMORY

3.1.5 MAIN MEMMORY

3.1.6 POWER SUPPLY

3.1.7 THE SCREEN

4 OPTICAL COMPONENTS 18-23

4.2 SLM FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES

4.4 OPTICAL MEMMORY

9 SOME CURRENT RESEARCH 28

Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

FIG NO TITLE PAGE NO

1.1 COMPUTER OF 2010 3

2.1 OPTICAL COMPUTER BLOCK DIAGRAM 11

2.2 OPTICAL COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 12

4.1 A SCHEMATIC OF THE VCSEL AND 18

ITS POSSIBLE MINIATURIZATION

4.2(a) A REFLECTIVE 256X256 PIXEL DEVISE 20

BASED ON SRAM TECHNOLOGY

WITH EMBEDDED CMOS

4.2(b) SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF AN 21

ACOUSTO OPTIC MODULATOR

Dept. of ECE Universal Engineering College

An optical desktop computer could be capable of processing data up to 100,000 times

Prof.U.Kh.Kopvillem research was the foundation of several areas of non-linear optics,

Optical computing where the processing of electrical energy is replaced by light

Dept. Of ECE 1 Universal Enginering College

1.1 AN OVERVIEW OF OPTICAL COMPUTING

Computers have become an indispensable part of life. We need computers

Optical computing describes a new technological approach for constructing

Dept. Of ECE 3 Universal Enginering College

Standard, electrical-based, computers rapidly approach fundamental limitation.