Low energy routing platforms for optical interconnects using active Plasmonics integrated with Silicon Photonics

The field of data communications and short-range interconnects in computing and High Performance Data Centers (HPCs) and Computing Systems has been up to date almost exclusively dominated by electronics, which have formed the main technological solution for the interconnection of many core/board/rack modules. In FP7-PLATON project we are investigating novel hybrid Silicon-Plasmonics components/subsystems for the demonstration of a Tb/s scale router with ultralow power consumption, footprint and end-to-end propagation delay. The breakthrough approach of PLATON relies on a novel hybrid Silicon-Plasmonics technology where Silicon Photonics is the low loss platform for the formation of the passive circuitry and Plasmonics is exploited for the active parts of the router towards reducing size and energy consumption. In this article, we will present our latest results on true WDM traffic transmission and switching using active plasmonics integrated on the Silicon-on-Insulator waveguide platform and we will outline the roadmap for future energy efficient Data Centers and HPCs with the integration of our novel technology.