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10 Mar 2006
Japanese firm NEC unveils a VCSEL operating at 25 Gbps per channel at this week's OFC conference.
NEC of Japan says it has developed a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with an operating speed of 25 gigabits per second (Gbps) per channel. Emitting at 1070 nm, the company says the device is a major step forward in the development of next-generation supercomputing systems.
A transmission speed of over 20 Gbps will be required for the optical interconnects between chips in supercomputers by 2010. According to NEC, its VCSEL is essential to increasing data transmission speeds between CPUs and memories, which is currently the bottleneck hindering the calculation speed of next-generation supercomputers.
NEC's 1070 nm VCSEL is based on indium-gallium-arsenide. The company quotes threshold currents of 0.33 mA at 25°C and 0.58 mA at 85°C and an operating current of 7 mA for 25 Gbps.
In a statement detailing the development, NEC says two developments have led to the increased operating speed. The first is the use of a layer structure that improves the efficiency of electro-optic transitions while reducing resistance and capacitance. The second is "enhanced reliability through the utilization of material that prevents crystal degradation."
The research is part of the "Elementary-Technology Research for Future Supercomputers" project, which is being supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
NEC presented details of this work at the OFC conference, which was held in Anaheim this week.
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