In this paper, an innovative 3-to-3 bi-directional optical bus architecture based on multimode polymer waveguides with embedded 45° micro-mirrors was successfully demonstrated. With a lithography-free imprinting process by high quality electroplated metallic mold, the device can be precisely replicated with a low fabrication cost. Superior to any point-to-point optical waveguide, the implemented optical bus structure is capable of broadcasting and receiving high speed data at 10Gbit/sec among multiple points as a high performance optical backplane.

© 2011 OSA

1. D. Huang, T. Sze, A. Landin, R. Lytel, and H. L. Davidson, “Optical interconnects: out of the box forever?” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9(2), 614–623 (2003). [CrossRef]
2. R. T. Chen, L. Lin, C. Choi, Y. J. Liu, B. Bihari, L. Wu, S. Tang, R. Wickman, B. Picor, M. K. Hibbs-Brenner, J. Bristow, and Y. S. Liu, “Fully embedded board-level guided wave optoelectronic interconnects,” Proc. IEEE 88(6), 780–793 (2000). [CrossRef]
3. A. L. Glebov, M. G. Lee, and K. Yokouchi, “Integration technologies for pluggable backplane optical interconnect systems,” Opt. Eng. 46(1), 015403 (2007). [CrossRef]
4. A. Flores, S. Song, J. J. Yang, Z. Q. Liu, and M. R. Wang, “High-speed optical interconnect coupler based on soft lithography ribbons,” J. Lightwave Technol. 26(13), 1956–1963 (2008). [CrossRef]
5. K. Gicherl, X. Han, and R. T. Chen, “A method for rebroadcasting signals in an optical backplane bus system,” J. Lightwave Technol. 19, 959–965 (2002).
6. X. Han, G. Kim, G. J. Lipovski, and R. T. Chen, “An optical centralized shared-bus architecture demonstrator for microprocessor-to-memory interconnects,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9(2), 512–517 (2003). [CrossRef]
7. X. Han, G. Kim, and R. T. Chen, “Accurate diffraction efficiency control for multiplexed volume holographic gratings,” Opt. Eng. 41(11), 2799–2802 (2002). [CrossRef]
8. H. Bi, X. Han, X. Chen, W. Jiang, J. Choi, and R. T. Chen, “15Gbps bit-interleaved optical backplane bus using volume photo-polymer holograms,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18(20), 2165–2167 (2006). [CrossRef]
9. M. Tan, P. Rosenberg, J. S. Yeo, M. McLaren, S. Mathai, T. Morris, J. Straznicky, N. P. Jouppi, H. P. Kuo, S. Wang, S. Lerner, P. Kornilovich, N. Meyer, R. Bicknell, C. Otis, and L. Seals, “A high-speed optical multi-drop bus for computer interconnections,” in 16th IEEE Symposium on High Performance Interconnects (2008).
10. X. Y. Dou, X. Wang, H. Y. Huang, X. H. Lin, D. Ding, D. Z. Pan, and R. T. Chen, “Polymeric waveguides with embedded micro-mirrors formed by Metallic Hard Mold,” Opt. Express 18(1), 378–385 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. D. Xinyuan, X. Wang, X. H. Lin, D. Ding, D. Z. Pan, and R. T. Chen, “Highly flexible polymeric optical waveguide for out-of-plane optical interconnects,” Opt. Express 18(15), 16227–16233 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. X. Wang, W. Jiang, L. Wang, H. Bi, and R. T. Chen, “Fully embedded board level optical interconnects-from waveguide fabrication to device integration,” J. Lightwave Technol. 26(2), 243–250 (2008). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• D. Huang, T. Sze, A. Landin, R. Lytel, and H. L. Davidson, “Optical interconnects: out of the box forever?” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9(2), 614–623 (2003). [CrossRef]
• X. Han, G. Kim, G. J. Lipovski, and R. T. Chen, “An optical centralized shared-bus architecture demonstrator for microprocessor-to-memory interconnects,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9(2), 512–517 (2003). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• H. Bi, X. Han, X. Chen, W. Jiang, J. Choi, and R. T. Chen, “15Gbps bit-interleaved optical backplane bus using volume photo-polymer holograms,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18(20), 2165–2167 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. Flores, S. Song, J. J. Yang, Z. Q. Liu, and M. R. Wang, “High-speed optical interconnect coupler based on soft lithography ribbons,” J. Lightwave Technol. 26(13), 1956–1963 (2008). [CrossRef]
• K. Gicherl, X. Han, and R. T. Chen, “A method for rebroadcasting signals in an optical backplane bus system,” J. Lightwave Technol. 19, 959–965 (2002).
• X. Wang, W. Jiang, L. Wang, H. Bi, and R. T. Chen, “Fully embedded board level optical interconnects-from waveguide fabrication to device integration,” J. Lightwave Technol. 26(2), 243–250 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Eng.

• A. L. Glebov, M. G. Lee, and K. Yokouchi, “Integration technologies for pluggable backplane optical interconnect systems,” Opt. Eng. 46(1), 015403 (2007). [CrossRef]
• X. Han, G. Kim, and R. T. Chen, “Accurate diffraction efficiency control for multiplexed volume holographic gratings,” Opt. Eng. 41(11), 2799–2802 (2002). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• X. Y. Dou, X. Wang, H. Y. Huang, X. H. Lin, D. Ding, D. Z. Pan, and R. T. Chen, “Polymeric waveguides with embedded micro-mirrors formed by Metallic Hard Mold,” Opt. Express 18(1), 378–385 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. Xinyuan, X. Wang, X. H. Lin, D. Ding, D. Z. Pan, and R. T. Chen, “Highly flexible polymeric optical waveguide for out-of-plane optical interconnects,” Opt. Express 18(15), 16227–16233 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. IEEE

• R. T. Chen, L. Lin, C. Choi, Y. J. Liu, B. Bihari, L. Wu, S. Tang, R. Wickman, B. Picor, M. K. Hibbs-Brenner, J. Bristow, and Y. S. Liu, “Fully embedded board-level guided wave optoelectronic interconnects,” Proc. IEEE 88(6), 780–793 (2000). [CrossRef]

Other

• M. Tan, P. Rosenberg, J. S. Yeo, M. McLaren, S. Mathai, T. Morris, J. Straznicky, N. P. Jouppi, H. P. Kuo, S. Wang, S. Lerner, P. Kornilovich, N. Meyer, R. Bicknell, C. Otis, and L. Seals, “A high-speed optical multi-drop bus for computer interconnections,” in 16th IEEE Symposium on High Performance Interconnects (2008).

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