Over-100-bit Integrated Optical RAM Chip

Eiichi Kuramochi1,2, Kengo Nozaki1,2, Akihiko Shinya1,2, Koji Takeda2,3, Tomonari Sato2,3,
Shinji Matsuo2,3, Hideaki Taniyama1,2, Hisashi Sumikura1,2, and Masaya Notomi1,2
1Optical Science Laboratory, 2NTT Nanophotonics Center,
3NTT Device Technology Laboratories

Optical memory is a key device for all-optical routing/signal-processing. The former is applicable for both broadband networks in telecommunication and data centers and on/off-chip optical interconnects for large-scale CMOS electronic chips. The transportation of photonics over electronics is considered to be a way of dealing with the huge data-transfer cost (power, heat, space, overhead), which becomes serious as the integration density increases. We have previously demonstrated an ultra-small optical random access memory (o-RAM) with an ultra-small operating power (30 nW) by using a high-Q photonic crystal nanocavity [1]. However, the highly dense integration of many o-RAMs is difficult to achieve with the previous nanocavity design.

In this study, we employed a novel three-missing-hole nanocavity (L3) with the systematic tuning of multiple holes [Fig. 1(a)], which enhanced the Q factor 10-fold compared with the conventional L3 [2]. Thanks to the narrow cavity mode linewidth, enhanced carrier-plasma bistability, and wide free spectrum range, we could employ wavelength-division-multiplexing technology to realize write/read-out access to every o-RAM via one common side-coupling waveguide, and eventually 128-bit o-RAMs were integrated as a simple tandem array of 128 L3s [Fig. 1(b)] [3]. The lattice constant a at every L3 was changed from 408 to 424 nm in 0.125 nm steps to set a wavelength spacing of ~30 GHz and the cavity spacing was 20a. The total length of the 128-bit integrated o-RAM was only 1.1 mm. We fabricated this precise 128 L3 array in a Si photonic crystal using electron beam lithography. In the experiment, we realized o-RAM operation by injecting bias light at the wavelength of the target o-RAM, and we switched the “1” state and “0” state with set/reset pulses. As shown in Fig. 1(c), we successfully demonstrated the o-RAM operation of 105 L3s. In addition to the groundbreaking jump in bit number from the several bits of conventional o-RAMs, the total operating power of 30 mW was surprisingly low. We applied the same technology to a more sophisticated InP-based nanocavity with an embedded buried heterostructure and realized multi-bit o-RAM operation on lower power consumption and a second time scale [3].

The success of state-of-the-art nanophotonics has opened the way to the monolithic integration of 1000 nanophotonics devices (or 1000 bits) and even one million devices on a chip by employing parallel integration.

[1]
K. Nozaki et al., Nature Photon. 6, 248 (2012).
[2]
E. Kuramochi et al., Opt. Lett. 39, 5780 (2014).
[3]
E. Kuramochi et al., Nature Photon. 8, 474 (2014).

Fig. 1. Over-100-bit integrated o-RAM chip. (a) L3 with novel hole-tuning. (b) Microscope images. (c) Temporal output of 105 bits.