High-performance optical 3 bit Gray-code counter using T-flip-flop circuits with GaAlAs directional couplers

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Computing
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Electrical circuits face limitations in speed and complexity for advanced computing.
• Optical modulation offers potential for high-speed, low-power data processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and analyze a high-performance optical 3-bit Gray-code counter.
• To leverage electro-optic modulation for all-photonic logic operations and state transitions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Gallium Aluminum Arsenide (GaAlAs) directional couplers for electro-optic modulation.
• Employed T-flip flops and K-map-based Boolean logic synthesis for system design.
• Conducted 3D MATLAB and temporal simulations to validate counter operation.

Main Results:

• Achieved optimal switching at 900 nm wavelength with a refractive index shift of ~1x10^-4.
• Demonstrated efficient optical switching using a 10V voltage across a 3µm channel.
• Analyzed key performance metrics including extinction ratio and contrast ratio.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical counter exhibits lower circuit complexity and faster design compared to electrical counterparts.
• The all-photonic design shows promise for future high-speed optical computing applications.