27-07-2012, 11:31 AM
Optical Computing
Optical Computing.ppt (Size: 1.05 MB / Downloads: 36)
INTRODUCTION
With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers has significantly increased.
Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to materials limitations i.e. Using light, instead of electric power, for performing computations.
This choice is motivated by several features that light has:
.It is very fast.
.It can be easily manipulated
.It is very well suited for parallelization.
What is Optical Computing?
Computing with Light not Electricity
Can be:
Entire optical computers
Optical/electronic hybrids
Huge multidisciplinary research area
Maths, Physics, Materials Science,
Computer Science, Electronic engineering etc.
POTENTIAL OF OPTICAL COMPUTING
A ‘primitive’ Optical chip
100,000,000 gates (108)
Nanosecond switching speeds (10-9)
Capable of performing 1017 bit operations per second
Optical computers could be much faster
Data traffic will get a non-electronic solution,
Worldwide data traffic growing by 100% each year
Terabit speeds are required – optical can provide
MERITS
Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data.
Super fast searches through databases.
No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s data.
Higher performance
Higher parallelism
Less heat is released
Less noise
More Flexible in layout
Less loss in communication
Massive improvements in highly parallel computation such as image processing
Low manufacturing costs
100,000 times faster calculations
Progress in Optical Computing
Recent optical devices created:
Optical logic gates
optical switches
Optical interconnections
optical memory
Switching device performance
Speeds of 10-15 seconds
Power requirements one millionth of a watt
DRAWBACKS
Materials require much high power
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.
Optical components and their production is still expensive
New expensive high-tech factories have to be built
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
nonlinear material studies for faster switches.
Conclusion
Two directions of development:
Same architecture with optical components (realistic)
All functions in optical mode (ambitious)
Many new possibilities
High performance computing, high speed communications, parallel algorithms
Optics and its implications will have a big affect on the future of computing
Possibly big changes to software development
Optical Computing.ppt (Size: 1.05 MB / Downloads: 36)
INTRODUCTION
With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers has significantly increased.
Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to materials limitations i.e. Using light, instead of electric power, for performing computations.
This choice is motivated by several features that light has:
.It is very fast.
.It can be easily manipulated
.It is very well suited for parallelization.
What is Optical Computing?
Computing with Light not Electricity
Can be:
Entire optical computers
Optical/electronic hybrids
Huge multidisciplinary research area
Maths, Physics, Materials Science,
Computer Science, Electronic engineering etc.
POTENTIAL OF OPTICAL COMPUTING
A ‘primitive’ Optical chip
100,000,000 gates (108)
Nanosecond switching speeds (10-9)
Capable of performing 1017 bit operations per second
Optical computers could be much faster
Data traffic will get a non-electronic solution,
Worldwide data traffic growing by 100% each year
Terabit speeds are required – optical can provide
MERITS
Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data.
Super fast searches through databases.
No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s data.
Higher performance
Higher parallelism
Less heat is released
Less noise
More Flexible in layout
Less loss in communication
Massive improvements in highly parallel computation such as image processing
Low manufacturing costs
100,000 times faster calculations
Progress in Optical Computing
Recent optical devices created:
Optical logic gates
optical switches
Optical interconnections
optical memory
Switching device performance
Speeds of 10-15 seconds
Power requirements one millionth of a watt
DRAWBACKS
Materials require much high power
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.
Optical components and their production is still expensive
New expensive high-tech factories have to be built
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
nonlinear material studies for faster switches.
Conclusion
Two directions of development:
Same architecture with optical components (realistic)
All functions in optical mode (ambitious)
Many new possibilities
High performance computing, high speed communications, parallel algorithms
Optics and its implications will have a big affect on the future of computing
Possibly big changes to software development