Optical interconnect technology for multi-processor networks

An optimized optical technology for short-distance, highly integrated, links with Gb/s speed has been developed. A 1-μm GaAs E/D MESFET, with SBL and DCS logic families, was used to fabricate Tx and Rx chips with most of the link adapter functions (i.e., serialization, clocking, line driving, and receiving) required to interface a data bus with a fiber-optic network. A GaAs quantum-well laser array chip was used for four efficient, high-speed optical line drivers. The multimode fiber links have demonstrated a BER (bit error rate) of <10-15 at 1 Gb/s, and crosstalk between circuits on the chips has proven negligible.