Background
The development and design process for electronic integrated circuits is very intensive before a finalized chip design is sent to the chip fab. Most application-specific electronic integrated circuits require a prototyping process that can be accomplished with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an electronic circuit which can be reconfigured by applying a specially designed electric field. Engineers are able to test and optimize their circuits in the FPGA until they are bug-free. Photonic integrated circuits (PIC’s) also have a very expensive manufacturing process owing to their fixed functionality but lack a convenient prototyping platform.
Technology Overview
The photonic FPGA (phoFPGA) platform we have invented is based on photonic waveguides created by applying an electric field across a dielectric element. Activating the electric field creates a waveguide between array nodes. When the electric fields are switched off, the waveguide confinement ceases and the optical field disperses. By connecting multiple nodes, optical couplers and switches can be implemented and reconfigured dynamically like an electronic FPGA without requiring a lithographic manufacturing process.
Benefits
Using the photonic FPGA, PIC engineers will be able to conveniently optimize their circuit designs before they are sent to a photonic integrated circuit fab. This technology even extends beyond the functionality of the electronic FPGA as while electronic FPGA requires a specialized module to reconfigure the chip, our technology requires no additional module. The photonic FPGA technology can be reconfigured on the fly at GHz speeds even after it has been incorporated into a product and purchased by a customer, allowing for manufacturers to roll out new PIC hardware updates remotely to improve chip performance and fix security vulnerabilities. Additionally, when power is removed, the circuit disappears, allowing for security against reverse engineering.
Applications
Prototyping and manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits, as well as reverse-engineering protection.