{"53839":{"#nid":"53839","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Photonic Material May Facilitate All-Optical Switching and Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA class of molecules whose size, structure and chemical composition have been optimized for photonic use could provide the demanding combination of properties needed to serve as the foundation for low-power, high-speed all-optical signal processing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll-optical switching could allow dramatic speed increases in telecommunications by eliminating the need to convert photonic signals to electronic signals \u2013 and back \u2013 for switching. All-optical processing could also facilitate photonic computers with similar speed advances. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of these materials \u2013 and the design approach behind them \u2013 were reported February 18th in Science Express, the rapid online publication of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E. Conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis work provides proof that at least from a molecular point of view, we can identify and produce materials that have the right properties for all-optical processing,\u201d said Seth Marder, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-author of the paper. \u201cThis opens the door for looking at this issue in an entirely different way.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe polymethine organic dye materials developed by the Georgia Tech team combine large nonlinear properties, low nonlinear optical losses, and low linear losses. Materials with these properties are essential if optical engineers are to develop a new generation of devices for low-power and high-contrast optical switching of signals at telecommunications wavelengths. Keeping data all-optical would greatly facilitate the rapid transmission of detailed medical images, development of new telepresence applications, high-speed image recognition \u2013 and even the fast download of high-definition movies. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut favorable optical properties these new materials developed at Georgia Tech have only been demonstrated in solution. For their materials to have practical value, the researchers will have to incorporate them in a solid phase for use in optical waveguides \u2013 and address a long list of other challenges. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed high-performing materials by starting with optimized molecules and getting the molecular properties right,\u201d said co-author Joseph Perry, also a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u201cNow we have to figure out how to pack them together so they have a high density and useful physical forms that would be stable under operation.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarder, Perry and collaborators in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) have been working on the molecules for several years, refining their properties and adding atoms to maximize their length without inducing symmetry breaking, a phenomenon in which unequal charges build up within molecules. This molecular design effort, which builds on earlier research with smaller molecules, included both experimental work \u2013 and theoretical studies done in collaboration with Jean-Luc Bredas, a also a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe design strategies identified by the research team \u2013 which also included Joel Hales, Jonathan Matichak, Stephen Barlow, Shino Ohira, and Kada Yesudas \u2013 could be applied to development of even more active molecules, though Marder believes the existing materials could be modified to meet the needs of all-optical processing \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor this class of molecules, we can with a high-degree of reliability predict where the molecules will have both large optical nonlinearities and low two-photon absorption,\u201d said Marder. \u201cNot only can we predict that, but using well-established chemical principles, we can tune where that will occur such that if people want to work at telecommunications wavelengths, we can move to where the molecules absorb to optimize its properties.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESwitching of optical signals carried in telecommunications networks currently requires conversion to electrical signals, which must be switched and then converted back to optical format. Existing electro-optical technology may ultimately be able to provide transmission speeds of up to 100 gigabits-per-second. However, all-optical processing could theoretically transmit data at speeds as high as 2,000 gigabits-per-second, allowing download of high-definition movies in minutes rather than hours. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven if the frequency of signals coming and going is high, there is a latency that causes a bottleneck for the signals until the modulation and switching are done,\u201d Perry explained. \u201cIf we can do that all optically, then that delay can be reduced. We need to get electronics out of the system.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry and Marder emphasize that many years of research remain ahead before their new materials will be practical. But they believe the approach they\u2019ve developed charts a path toward all-optical systems. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile we have not made all-optical switches, what we have done is provide a fundamental understanding of what the systems are that could have the combined set of properties that would make this possible,\u201d Marder said. \u201cConceptually, we have probably made it over the hump with this class of molecules. The next part of this work will be difficult, but it will not require a fundamental new understanding of the molecular structure.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is based on work supported in part by the STC program of the National Science Foundation under agreement DMR-0120967, the DARPA MORPH Program and ONR (N00014-04-0095 and N00014-06-1-0897) and the DARPA ZOE Program (W31P4Q-09-1-0012). The comments and opinions expressed are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the views of the NSF, DARPA or ONR.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA class of molecules whose size, structure and chemical composition have been optimized for photonic use could provide the demanding combination of properties needed to serve as the foundation for low-power, high-speed all-optical signal processing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Dye-based materials may provide the basis for all-optical networks"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-23 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:05","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"53840":{"id":"53840","type":"image","title":"Professor Seth Marder","body":null,"created":"1449175342","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:22","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Professor Seth Marder","file":{"fid":"170991","name":"tiz58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150222,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg?itok=eaL-O43G"}},"53841":{"id":"53841","type":"image","title":"Seth Marder \u0026 team","body":null,"created":"1449175342","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:22","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Seth Marder \u0026 team","file":{"fid":"170992","name":"tmr58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1097968,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg?itok=Md_XMabo"}},"53842":{"id":"53842","type":"image","title":"Prof. Joe Perry","body":null,"created":"1449175428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:48","changed":"1475894468","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:08","alt":"Prof. Joe Perry","file":{"fid":"171058","name":"ted58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1417499,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg?itok=ArlnPF6D"}}},"media_ids":["53840","53841","53842"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/","title":"COPE"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Marder\/","title":"Seth Marder"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Perry\/","title":"Joseph Perry\\\u0027s home page"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bredators.gatech.edu\/","title":"Jean-Luc Bredas"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1745","name":"networks"},{"id":"2768","name":"optics"},{"id":"2290","name":"photonics"},{"id":"170836","name":"switching"},{"id":"1463","name":"Telecommunications"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}