Optical Random Access Memory (ORAM)

The current technology in long distance data communications is a network consisting of an electrical router with optical fiber transmission. Optical routers are yet to be realized for implementation of an all-optical network. ORAM is a necessary component of an optical router. The ORAM consists of three important components: a switch, a recirculating loop, and amplifiers. The switches have Multi Mode Interference (MMI) devices for splitting and combining signals. Using BeamPROP software, the interference of light in the MMI was simulated. By varying the MMI's dimension, the optical power and splitting ratio of the beams coming out were analyzed to compute the possible errors due to fabrication tolerance. The recirculating loop consists of a waveguide with a total length of 210 cm, and stores the incoming signal in 10 nanoseconds intervals. The waveguide is made of silica on a silicon chip. This loop is tested for determining parameters such as optical power loss, and the results are compared to those of alternative materials. Testing on-chip optical devices involves accurate aligning and close monitoring of any possible movements of the device and the testing setup. A program was written in MATLAB to control the motorized 6-axis stages to optimize the coupling.