Characterisation of a reconfigurable free space optical interconnect system for parallel computing applications and experimental validation using rapid prototyping technology
Abstract
Free-space optical interconnects (FSOIs) are widely seen as a potential solution to
present and future bandwidth bottlenecks for parallel processing applications.
This thesis will be focused on the study of a particular FSOI system called Optical
Highway (OH). The OH is a polarised beam routing system which uses Polarising
Beam Splitters and Liquid Crystals (PBS/LC) assemblies to perform reconfigurable
interconnection networks. The properties of the OH make it suitable for implementing
different passive static networks.
A technology known as Rapid Prototyping (RP) will be employed for the first time in
order to create optomechanical structures at low cost and low production times. Off-theshelf
optical components will also be characterised in order to implement the OH.
Additionally, properties such as reconfigurability, scalability, tolerance to misalignment
and polarisation losses will be analysed. The OH will be modelled at three levels: node,
optical stage and architecture. Different designs will be proposed and a particular
architecture, Optimised Cut-Through Ring (OCTR), will be experimentally
implemented. Finally, based on this architecture, a new set of properties will be defined
in order to optimise the efficiency of the optical channels.